Before the Last Battle
by LadyDi
Summary: She could see the love in his eyes and wondered if it was as strong as hers. She stared at the most beautiful green that she would ever know in her life and drank it in. Just seeing his eyes look at her like that made her heart beat and her emotions soar. She would never tire of this time between them. Time melted away and left her with seconds stretching into hours.
1. Knowing the Truth

" _Stop_ _with_ _the_ _secrets._ _Who_ _do_ _you_ _want_ _to_ _give_ _this_ _book_ _to?"_

" _We_ _have_ _to_ _bring_ _it_ _to_ _the_ _Grand_ _Guardian._ _And_ _I_ _think_ _it's_ _time_ _for_ _you_ _to_ _finally_ _meet_ _him,_ _Marinette..."_

The words were still ringing in her head as she headed through the streets with discrete directions given from her purse. She clutched at the weighty book in her hands the entire way. Tikki's words had her nerves going haywire and she felt very odd going to someone that supposedly knew who she was. She had tried so hard since mysteriously receiving the earrings to keep her identity a secret from everyone and now someone knew who she was. But...the Grand Guardian would know, wouldn't he? If he had been watching over the miraculous stones of both Chat Noir and Ladybug, she should feel less nervous at doing this than she currently was.

She stopped in front of a wooden door and knocked. There was no noise from inside and she decided to enter. Her heart was beating faster than she wanted it to as she peeked in on the person who was responsible for making her life turn upside-down. Her eyes widened when she saw an elderly Asian man sitting by himself in a room, merely meditating. He looked asleep and she was hesitant to interrupt in case he was doing something important, but he looked up and met her eyes. He didn't seem surprised to see her here and she wondered at that.

"Hello, Ladybug."

Her nerves scrambled, but curiosity won over when Tikki immediately headed into the room. Her feet moved on their own as she quickly strode inside, book still tightly in her arms. She didn't stop until she was directly in front of the mat he was sitting on. She stared down at him in the silence, feeling her heart thunder in her chest.

He was the old man that she helped cross the street not that long ago on her first day of school! She couldn't forget that because she had lost half a box of macaroons that her father so graciously made for her to share with the class. She never remembered him slipping anything into her bag before they parted; in fact, the earrings had shown up in her room in front of her. How had he managed to get them there without her or her parents' knowledge?

It suddenly dawned on her that she had been in this exact same room when Tikki was sick not too long ago. He had healed Tikki and Tikki had known about him. So...he was both a Guardian and a healer of kwami? None of it made sense and her head was starting to hurt by how quickly she was trying to process the whole thing!

She jumped when the door quietly closed on itself and whirled to it. She turned back to the Guardian with a gasp, feeling incredibly outside of the situation with no way to grasp any comprehension of it. Her mind was going a million miles a minute in attempt to piece any of this together.

"No need to be so nervous Ladybug. Please, have a seat."

She followed the trail of his hand in extension to the large mat he was in the middle of. It took a second for her brain to catch up to his words and actions. She quickly slipped from her shoes and plopped on the mat, somewhat grateful to have a solid surface to sit on. This was too much and she hadn't even spoken with the elderly man yet!

He gave a small smile and nodded to her. He then looked to Tikki with a smile and exchanged courteous words of seeing her again after so long and glad she was in better health this time around. He asked Tikki how her new charge was doing and Tikki happily responded that he had chosen wisely this time around.

She watched the pleasantries, sitting ramrod straight. She felt on emotional overload and didn't know what to start feeling first. There was a sense of calm radiated from the man and she felt it was okay to trust him, considering he knew her alter ego. Still, she couldn't push words out if she tried. She had so many questions and concerns about everything that had happened since she received the earrings, but they jumbled in her head and demanded to be let out all at once.

The elderly man's eyes looked to the book and lit up. "Ah! You have it." He reached a hand out and she pushed it across the mat to him. He took it with a look of relief and happiness and she now knew why Tikki said to bring it to him. Something told her that he had been waiting for this book for a long time. "Where did you find it, I wonder?"

Her mouth opened to automatically answer the question, but she clamped it shut. In no way did she plan on ratting out Adrien...so how did she explain that she all of a sudden found him with it at her school library? "A – ah...well...um...the thing is...you see -"

Tikki floated into her vision and stood on the book still in the man's arms. "We brought it back for you Master Fu." She beamed. "It was in possession of a classmate."

Master Fu's brows went up. "Hmm...classmate you say?" His eyes narrowed as he looked to the book. He was silent for the longest time before finally looking up to meet her eyes. "I understand now. It makes sense. I can see how it ended up here in Paris. Yes...I bet he had it on him when they left."

Her brow went up. "He? Excuse me...how did a – a classmate of mine have this book?"

Fu sighed and put the book gently next to him before looking to her again. "It's a very long story Ladybug."

"Marinette." She butt in.

"And I'm Master Fu." He nodded with a small smile. "I have been looking for this book for many years." A hand lightly padded the thick cover. "I have crossed western China and all of Europe in search of this. Many years ago, I came across a young couple vacationing in my homeland of Tibet. During their trip, I bestowed a miraculous to the beautiful woman of the couple who showed worthy traits such as you have shown me. She helped fight an evil when she was there and she was of great benefit to the people. When they went to head home, I told her to keep it and use it for good in her homeland, though she should tell no one about it. I had no idea that the young man would take my book or why he would do so. I imagine he must have somehow found out before they left, but he gave no indication of knowing. I only guessed at where they may be in the world going by the language they spoke and started my search."

A hand went to her head. "This is so much to follow...Was it the Ladybug miraculous?"

Fu shook his head. "No. The Ladybug and Chat Noir miraculous are the more powerful of all miraculous stones and those have always been guarded with utmost care. There are a total of seven miraculous powers and they all do something different. What I gave the woman was the peacock miraculous." He sighed. "It is still missing. Although...if she had it, I imagine it may be in his possession along with the butterfly miraculous."

She watched the elderly man stroke his beard, looking outwardly forlorn and sad over something she was still not privy to. She leaned in, curiosity burning against her better judgment not to pry when something hit her at his words. "Butterfly...miraculous?" Her fists clenched. "You mean to tell me...that the person Chat Noir and I have been fighting so hard against...is a miraculous user?!"

Master Fu sighed. "The stones were created to fight against evil, but they can be used for evil as well if the person's heart is corrupted by something..."

She suddenly looked to Tikki who floated just to the side of them. Sweet, helpful Tikki who had tried to guide her in so many ways of life outside of fighting evil. She could never see someone as good as her kwami ever being used for horrible purposes. And, Chat Noir? She had seen him turn to evil and been used for evil purposes, although the doll issue was probably her fault, but he was still good inside! Even if her powers were creation and his were destruction, he never used it for bad!

Tikki gave a sympathetic smile, as if reading her mind. "There must always be a balance in the world Marinette. One cannot have good without bad. That is why Master Fu chooses miraculous holders with care."

"Oooookaaaaay...so whoever has the butterfly miraculous had your book. This person also has the peacock miraculous. Why did you give it to that person if it was only going to be used for evil?"

Master Fu shook his head. "I believed the butterfly miraculous to be lost forever, just like the peacock miraculous. Now, after getting the book back, I believe that he stole the butterfly miraculous from me somehow, along with the book. They were the only ones I bestowed anything to since that time and they have always been the prime suspects in my search."

She looked to the room, trying to take all this in. There was a sudden sense of unease when a thought struck her. "You gave me the Ladybug miraculous so that I could take back the other two? How? Neither of us have any idea where he is!"

"I did choose you and Chat Noir to fight against the evil radiating from the butterfly miraculous. You must retrieve the miraculous stone for me at all costs."

"Which is something I never understood!" Her fists clenched as she remembered day one. The uncertainty, the fear, the despair... "Why ME? Why not any other person in Paris? I'm just a nobody! There are better people out there who I'm friends with that would have jumped at the chance to have super powers!"

The elderly man smiled. "You proved your worth that day you stood in front of traffic, risking your life without a second thought, to help me. Your bravery and compassion shone for you. Your deeds as Ladybug since that day have proved you are fit to take such a power and use it wisely. Your worry and concern over Tikki when you brought her to me, risking exposing your identity, has shown me how much you have taken this all to heart."

She managed a sheepish smile at the praise, eyes darting to Tikki. Her kwami had said so many similar things to her since their initial meeting. Despite how often she thought herself a klutz and bad luck, all their positive words were true. Deep down, she knew this, though her clumsiness always tried to get the better of her. She looked to the mat, mind working again. "So...how am I supposed to take the butterfly miraculous away? Am I supposed to purify it? I've never done the actual stone before..."

"I will be able to purify the evil once you bring the miraculous to me. If you're lucky, you shouldn't have to be too confrontational about it though... I think Chat Noir may have an easier time getting the miraculous back for us." A hand stroked his beard again. "Although, he has to be extremely sneaky about it...even for Chat Noir."

Her brow furrowed at a huge wave of confusion from his words. "Ugh...you're not making sense again!" Fingers rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "Why would Chat Noir be able to get a miraculous for us without my help? Aren't I the one to be able to save them?"

Master Fu smiled. "The butterfly miraculous has always been closer than you think. It's actually at his house."

A brow shot into her bangs. "Huh?! Chat Noir's house? Of his real self? How would he not notice that?!"

"How could Butterfly not notice Chat Noir this whole time?"

She heaved a sigh, head shaking at so many roundabout questions and scenarios. "How do you know all this? If you gave Chat his miraculous, why not tell him at the time?"

"I never personally gave either of you your miraculous stones. I left them in both of your rooms for you to find when the time was right."

She blinked. That explained a few things, but... What was that strange feeling worming its way from the back of her mind? "You've...been to Chat Noir's house?" Was that her voice?

Matser Fu nodded. "Quite the impressive place." A hand idly stroked his beard. "I personally selected both of you after careful consideration and checked on you two one rainy afternoon to verify my decision.I still agree with my kwami in that you two are made for each other. Never could there have been a better pair of Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Her mouth slowly opened against her will. "You've...seen...Chat Noir...?" What were these words escaping her?! No! She had always tried to keep her identity secret! A huge part of her also didn't want to know! Tikki had said no one could know she was Ladybug; why would she want to know who Chat was in real life? She didn't care; it was his thing! He was merely her partner; the other half who helped her in battle! It was too risky to know who he was because she just knew she'd let it slip out unintentionally and create more problems for them somewhere in the future!

So why was her heart beating so fast? Why was she leaning in closer to him?

"He looks very much like his mother." The elderly man mused. "I can still somewhat remember her face; her hair was the color of the sun. It was very striking and hard to forget when I first saw her. He has the same color and it was quite a startling similarity."

Something poked all the nerves up her spine and made her shiver heavily. Her tongue moved with difficulty. Somehow, she looked to Tikki with labored movement. "The...book..." Hair the color of the sun...? Chat...had hair the color of the sun...so did someone else she knew...in her class...

The elderly man stared at her and stroked his beard slowly. "He goes to your school. " He slowly stood and walked over to a record player. After pressing a few secret buttons, the player revealed a box of obvious Asian decor. Master Fu opened the box and turned her way. "Come, I must show you somewhat how they look like so you'll be able to aim for them when you go to retrieve them."

Despite the fog and the memories running rampant through her brain, she stood and mechanically walked over to him. She looked down at two trinkets that were still resting, along with three colored felt patches which were empty. In the center was a yin yang design, colored with Ladybug spots and a cat's paw. Her brow rose a little when she spotted what looked like Lila's necklace, though a little different. Questions burned in her brain as to how Lila had such a similar-looking piece of jewelry if she hadn't been given the miraculous yet. She bypassed that for the other spots that were empty and stared at them in wonder. There was a sense of power barely radiating from the box and it knocked her to her senses a bit.

Fu reached out and a finger stopped at the blue felt, eyes on her. "The peacock miraculous looks very much like a peacock's feathers in full bloom." His hand moved to the purple patch next. "The butterfly miraculous looks like a butterfly in flight. They are two of the more recognizable miraculous stones which were created. I need you to give this information to Chat Noir so he can search his house."

"If you were there, why didn't you look for them yourself?"

"An old man like me wouldn't have had sufficient time to search a house the size of Chat Noir's before getting caught, let alone win a battle against Butterfly at my age. Butterfly won't let his miraculous out of his sight either; battle will ensue for you both. This is why Chat Noir would have to be extra careful if he were to retrieve it. The peacock miraculous may be easier to find than the butterfly miraculous if it's merely being kept somewhere, but there are too many people there for me to sufficiently sneak around."

She idly nodded, though the extra information wasn't helping her emotional well-being. "Why tell me so much? I thought our identities couldn't be revealed to anyone! Tikki said so..." She slowly backed a step from him, heart in a panic. She mentally chanted that such a thing wasn't true. How many sun-colored haired boys lived in Paris?!

But how many of them were her classmates?

Master Fu shut the box and it went back into hiding underneath the record player. He turned to her and looked up into her eyes. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are a team. Two halves of one whole. Creation and destruction. You cannot defeat evil by yourselves. You must place a great sense of trust and faith in the other. I confirmed this from you both that day in the rain when I saw your actions toward each other."

"But...I don't...want to know who he is..." She heard herself say. "I...don't care..."

A hand reached out and patted her arm lightly with a soft smile. "I gave you this information to aide you in your journey together. Knowing his true identity is inevitable with the miraculous stones being in his house. I know you won't use this information for evil purposes. I know you'll keep his identity safe."

That wasn't the point! As Ladybug, she knew she'd save Chat without a moment's thought. Some part of her called upon her to do it without a second's hesitation, even though she had no idea who Chat really was deep down. The second she first crashed into him, she felt that he was on her side. Perhaps it was the ghost of memories from all the previous Ladybug heroes and heroines embedded in the earrings?

She felt oddly outside of herself in the quiet of the room after having learned so much. She couldn't believe that an entire family had somehow managed to get a hold of three of the seven miraculous stones! Two used for good, and one was being used for evil. She stared at the window unblinking, mind whirling at speeds that she thought were impossible. Not even when doing battle did she ever try to think this fast! One thing popped into her head and she blurted it out before she could think. "What happened to the woman who had the peacock miraculous?" Master Fu looked truly forlorn and regretful and she immediately felt bad for having ever asked such a question simply from the look on his face.

He looked away, hand stroking his beard again. He was quiet for what seemed the longest time before giving a sigh that spoke volumes. "I have only made one mistake in my life. I refused to make another one when I gave the Ladybug and Chat Noir stones to you both. That's why I checked up on you that day. I wanted to make sure I was right."

She knew from his cryptic answer that something terrible must had happened. She wanted to pry and get more information but some unseen weight seemed to pull him down and she couldn't bring herself to ask any more.

She stared at the mat where the book was still sitting. One book had caused such chaos to her mind and her emotions in the span of perhaps an hour or so. She had been given this information to carry and treasure and utilize as she needed. It was so like a Lucky Charm in so many ways because she still had no idea where to go from here and there were still so many questions left mostly unanswered.

And some answers to which she wished to leave as questions.

" _Wait!_ _I_ _won't_ _tell_ _anyone_ _who_ _you_ _are!"_

" _No_ _one_ _can_ _know_ _who_ _we_ _really_ _are...not_ _even_ _us_ _two."_

A hand clenched, nails digging into her skin. Her jaw flexed so tightly at his words and how she had never wanted to know. She could have been content for the rest of her time as Ladybug to never learn such truths! She only needed to know how to beat Butterfly, even if it seemed that it would hurt Chat Noir in the process. "Tikki...I...I need to go..." The weight of her own voice felt foreign in her ears. Her steps carried a strange balance and she almost worried she would collapse on the floor before she could leave. She slowly headed to the door and only paused to look back once she was in the doorway. "Master Fu...I..."

The elderly man held up a hand. "You'll know what to do when the time is right."

Did he mean during the fight? How to handle approaching battle? Talking to Chat? She could only nod and kept the door open long enough for Tikki to fly through it before she quietly clicked it closed. She held her purse up for Tikki to hide in and then started on her way back to the outside. The normal world and afternoon air felt strange. She looked around at all the people passing by, whose lives were so different than her own. Simpler, more carefree. She leaned against the entrance door, hands covering her face with a sigh and not caring who saw her.

"Marinette...?"

"Tikki..." She mumbled behind the safety of her trembling digits. "I can't...I can't do it... I can't face him now... What am I supposed to do?" She helplessly stared at the sky, tears lining her eyes. She frantically blinked them back, but they stuck to her lashes and refused to go away.

"It'll be okay Marinette. You just need some time to process all this information. The Master Fu gave you so much in such a short time."

Her head subtly shook, negating her kwami. "I'm not worried about the miraculous stones... I'm worried about HIM."

"Him?"

" _Well,_ _erm,_ _with_ _a_ _mask_ _and_ _a_ _costume...don't_ _you_ _think_ _he_ _kinda_ _looks_ _like_ _Chat_ _Noir?"_

" _Have_ _you_ _lost_ _your_ _mind_ _or_ _what?_ _He_ _has_ _way_ _more_ _class_ _than_ _this_ _Chat_ _Noir!"_

Her teeth grit.

" _Adrien_ _will_ _wear_ _your_ _bowler_ _hat_ _during_ _our_ _next_ _publicity_ _campaign."_

" _Achoo! Sorry...I'm_ _allergic_ _to_ _feathers."_

Her hands clenched to fists.

" _Chat_ _Noir!_ _She's_ _taken_ _Adrien!"_

" _It's_ _another_ _illusion."_

" _And_ _how_ _would_ _you_ _know?"_

" _Ah...well...my_ _nose_ _is_ _telling_ _me!_ _And_ _it's_ _legendary!"_

Her fists shook, shoulders following.

" _I'm_ _going_ _to_ _make_ _a_ _last_ _round_ _of_ _the_ _place_ _to_ _find_ _Nino's_ _friend."_

" _Not_ _necessary,_ _he_ _probably_ _got_ _hypnotized."_

" _But_ _he's_ _my_ _bud!"_

" _Oh_ _yea,_ _that's_ _right._ _He_ _probably_ _managed_ _to_ _hide._ _I'll_ _help_ _you_ _look_ _for_ _him."_

Tears clouded her vision.

" _Your_ _hair_ _is_ _jet_ _black_ _and_ _your_ _eyes_ _blue_ _as_ _the_ _skies._ _I_ _wonder_ _who_ _you_ _are_ _behind_ _this_ _mysterious_ _disguise._ _I_ _see_ _you_ _everyday_ _and_ _I_ _would_ _like_ _you_ _to_ _give_ _me_ _a_ _sign._ _I'll_ _love_ _you_ _until_ _the_ _end_ _of_ _my_ _days,_ _will_ _you_ _be_ _my_ _Valentine?"_

She exhaled a shuddery breath and suddenly took off in a dead run, panicked that someone she knew might find her like this when she had no ability to explain the chaos of her emotions. There was no one she could tell this to! Hands covered her face as she stumbled through the streets.

Oh god, it had been so obvious had she just taken the time to stop and see the signs! She never bothered to connect the mass amount of dots in front of her because she had never wanted to know! She had never been interested and had tried to respect his identity as much as she was trying to keep hers private despite his insistence. Now, she couldn't feign ignorance to something like this ever again and she couldn't handle it. It was too much to take...knowing Adrien was in love with her!

"Tikki..." She sobbed, almost tripping over a curb. "I can't face him now... I can't face Adrien!"


	2. Thinking of You

She burst through the side door leading immediately to her home above the bakery. The afternoon was still early enough that her parents would be downstairs working. She was thankful; she didn't want them to see her like this. As much as she wanted to lean on them for this problem so she wasn't alone in dealing with it, she couldn't bring them into this. If she talked about superheroes and secret identities this late after having received the earrings, she could only imagine the amount of disappointment by being unable to trust her parents with her secret.

Even if it was for their own safety.

She hurried through the door to her living room and up the ladder to her room. She didn't stop until she was all the way to her bed at the top level. She flung herself on the mattress and sobbed. She cried harder than there was a reason for, but she couldn't help herself. Every inch of her was shaking from the overflow of all these feelings trying to escape. She knew she should be happy, positively relieved, to know that the one she was so in love with loved her back...but she wasn't. She ignored Tikki's presence and released everything she couldn't hold onto anymore. She felt the light touch of her kwami, heard her attempts to comfort her, but ignored them all.

There couldn't be a way! Their personalities were so different! Chat was loud, obnoxious, flirty, annoying, compulsive, and tactless! His jokes were horrible and his puns always badly timed! There were so many times she wanted to smack him upside the head with her yo-yo for his actions toward her and his brashness in battle. He was everything that Adrien wasn't! Sweet, shy, thoughtful, charming, helpful, smart, handsome Adrien Agreste who was perfect in every way. The boy who gave his umbrella to her without a second thought when she hated him at the time...thinking he was like Chloe... She wanted to refuse to believe the connection!

" _I_ _never_ _went_ _to_ _school_ _before._ _I_ _never_ _had_ _any_ _friends..."_

He had been so downtrodden when he spoke those words to her and her heart had gone out to him. After that day, she watched him open up to her and Alya and Nino. She didn't want to consider the fact that perhaps the reason why Chat acted like he did was because, given that he was Adrien, he was reveling in the freedom of being given super powers. He said he had been home-schooled for a long time; his life had probably never been his own until Chat. She had met his father and had seen how he acted around Adrien when Adrien only tried to help protect him from the evil hypnotist. His emotions had probably been shunted for so long. Shunted, but not gone. She tried to picture Adrien acting the way he did with Chat's attitude and kept coming up short. She tried and only remembered recently...there was one time...

" _Aren't_ _you_ _ashamed?!_ _Er,_ _well,_ _I_ _mean...weren't_ _you_ _a_ _bit_ _harsh_ _on_ _her?"_

He had lashed out at her when she humiliated Lila in front of him, though he had no idea why. She knew it was wrong, but her jealousy ran so high and she didn't want him liking a liar like Lila...even though she had created much bigger problems after it due to her actions... If any time he could have been closely compared to Chat, that was a good one.

Their identities had always been theirs alone and despite the multiple times that Chat wished he could know who she was, she always refused him. She only needed his help in battle; never in real life. Could she have blinded herself to the clues on purpose? Had she been this afraid to find out?

" _I_ _have_ _to_ _tell_ _you_ _something..."_

" _Look._ _For_ _the_ _kiss,_ _I_ _had_ _to_ _break_ _the_ _spell_ _or_ _else_ _-"_

" _Kiss?!_ _What_ _kiss?_ _No,_ _I_ _wanted_ _to_ _tell_ _you_ _about_ _-"_

" _Careful!_ _Your_ _miraculous_ _is_ _blinking!_ _Looks_ _like_ _we'll_ _transform_ _back_ _into_ _pumpkins._ _And_ _me,_ _personally,_ _I'm_ _not_ _thrilled_ _to_ _see_ _that."_

Valentine's Day. He had been pretty insistent on telling her something. She remembered how her heart started pounding when he first found her after Heartbreaker's initial attacks. She thought back to the sentence he had stuttered, which ended up getting interrupted. Then he was transformed and he spoke words of hate, which she knew were the opposite on purpose. Heartbreaker was responsible for turning love into hate. She knew he flirted, but...if he was that serious... Hands clutched her hair and pulled. "Oh god...I kissed him...!" She exclaimed into her pillow. She remembered that very first kiss. It was duty, but it was still a kiss.

"It's okay Marinette."

Her head almost violently shook. "No! No, Tikki...no!" Her hands clenched at the pillow. "I kissed Adrien! I love him so much Tikki...oh god, how can I face him now?!"

"Perhaps it's time you let Chat Noir know who you are? Master Fu entrusted you with Chat's identity. What can it hurt?"

"You told me we could never tell anyone! And...and...this is me Tikki!" She turned red, tortured eyes to her kwami. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng is not Ladybug! Ladybug is smart and cool and strong and can act somewhat normal around Adrien because of the mask! Ladybug can at least TALK to Adrien! I'm nothing like her without you! I can't even form a complete sentence, half a sentence, when he stands in front of me!" She buried her face in the pillow. "If Chat Noir, if Adrien, is in love with Ladybug, he's not in love with me. He loves someone else!"

"You ARE Ladybug, even when the mask is gone." Tikki gently insisted. "You already have those traits within you, but they don't always shine like they do when Ladybug is required to help. You have been Marinette while you were Ladybug when you were with Adrien..."

She remembered the multiple times she managed to see gorgeous Adrien whenever there was danger. She had always lost her cool for a bit and stumbled to try and pick it back up. Those times she almost caught him in the shower made her want to escape to the other side of the earth! Being Ladybug was always a great help to make it look like she had absolutely no idea who Adrien was and that she went to the same class as he did.

"Would you love Adrien if he was Chat Noir? If he came to you and told you who he really was...knowing how you feel about him...would it still matter who he was with or without the mask?"

She paused and sincerely considered her friend's words. The flirty Chat Noir who always tried to be too close, who got on her nerves, who teased her mercilessly. She wondered how many more aspects of him that she didn't know about...but it made no difference. She remembered the first day they received their powers and she professed to being unworthy. His concern and positive words helped her out...so very Adrien-like...

That day in the rain forever changed her view of him and there was nothing which would ever alter that. She felt a small sense of calm in knowing this and it was greatly needed. "I...love HIM..."

"Then, could you trust him to be able to love you as both Marinette and Ladybug?"

Fear quickly speared through her at the unknown in those words. She would never be able to find the courage to tell him...to ask him that! She sniffled and rolled away from her kwami. "I...don't want to be rejected... What if he says no?"

"That is why you have to have faith in his feelings toward you as Ladybug."

It was too risky. She didn't want to hear the love of her life tell her that her real self wasn't as desirable for the better half which shone through because of a mask. She had always known herself to be a klutz. She was clumsy and almost thought she had been cursed with bad luck somewhere in her life. After all, she had to deal with being pestered by Chloe for so many school years! She was late to school many times, even if those were Ladybug-related, and messed up a lot with classes due to it. "I'm...I'm too scared to ask him Tikki..."

01010

The tears eventually tapered off, but the redness and dryness of her poor eyes were still visible when the darkness crept to Paris and her parents came looking for her for dinner. They woke her up after she fell asleep in her exhaustion. When they cornered her with their concern, she vaguely stammered out that she wasn't hungry and felt slightly ill, though she didn't specify the illness. Her mother worried over her as much as she would allow and part of it felt good. She couldn't choke down anything solid, but settled on a drink her mother made instead and holed up in her room for the rest of the evening.

She turned her phone on silent, but was unable to turn it off. She didn't want to talk to Alya and have her friend snoop in her business right now, but she still wanted access to some recent pictures she snuck of Adrien when he wasn't looking. She stared at them like an addict needing a fix. She was unable to look away. All she could see over his handsome face was a black mask and a twist to the emerald that were his eyes.

With darkness came the memories that she thought had been forgotten. She constantly thought of them with a sick sense of perverseness...of Chat flirting with Ladybug. He had been so obvious so many times: that instance with the dinosaur, Valentine's Day, the battle with Climatica when he kept holding her hand, the few times he tackled her away from danger, and any battle which gave him an excuse to flirt. She cringed, feeling absolutely horrible. His feelings were there and they were genuine.

And she had rejected them every. Single. Time...

She thought to how she acted when she was Ladybug. Being able to hide who you really were was a great help. She thought back to the very beginning and how she swallowed all the fear when people called upon her to help them. She answered the call and found a reservoir of strength she never knew she even possessed. Her times with Chat ran through her head as if on a movie reel while she looked at Adrien's pictures on her phone in the dark.

Did he act that way too? Finally able to be who he really wanted with his face covered and given abilities he never had before? She shifted further under the comforter and propped her phone up against a pillow so she could rest her chin on her hands. She really tried to put herself in his place and imagined his life as hers. How reserved would she be if she attempted to reach out to her parents, only to have them slap her hands away each time for some reason unbeknownst to her? Tears slipped out as she could only begin to feel the sadness and neglect he must know every day. She cried for the fate his life had become through means not his own. He deserved none of it and neither did his father.

It seemed that whatever happened to his mother due to the miraculous was the catalyst to start all of this long, horrible chain of events. A surge of protection and wish to help him rose so strongly she almost wanted to go confront Adrien with what she had learned in order to get the stones back right now. But she firmly remained rooted to her bed; she would never be able to succeed in battle against Butterfly like this and he would only use her turmoil to his advantage.

Somewhere around midnight, after having stared at Adrien's face for hours on end, she slowly ironed out the rough edges of her feelings and acceptance crept into her veins. She had placed herself in his life, had taken moments to truly see him, and now she couldn't unsee anything. They were one; Chat was Adrien and Adrien was Chat. The times when both shone through were there in her mind and she could pull those instances up without difficulty. She could see his reasons for acting out when he was never allowed and Chat's annoyances were becoming less so once she knew why.

It was maybe one when she snuck downstairs with the teapot from her balcony to get something warm to drink. She filled it with hot water, added some tea leaves, and then tiptoed back upstairs. She carried it all the way to the ceiling of her little private area and sat in the lounge chair. The cup in her hands was great against the chill of the evening. She stared at the darkened sky, brightened immensely by the many streetlights of Paris. She sat there, bundled up to keep from being forced inside too soon, and let her mind wander with Tikki ever-present and watchful.

What would he be doing right now? Was he asleep in that expanse of a room, unlike her? It was the middle of the night and because she slept through dinner, she wasn't tired in the slightest. Her head wouldn't let her sleep right now either, not until she found the guts to confront Adrien face to face. The mere thought of it sent her reeling into a panic. She had conceded his identity and that he may love her...maybe...but a confrontation was the worst thing for her right now. She could never speak of her feelings to him on any other day; how would now be any better simply because she had learned the truth?

She had long finished the tea, but still didn't want to sleep. She felt apprehension toward it. A large part of her wanted to escape her home and go swinging across Paris for a little relief, but what if she ran into Chat Noir? She knew that if such a thing happened, she would run away from him and he would follow because they would merely be on patrol, not in an actual battle. It made her hands shake at the thought of such an occurrence happening! If she left and that happened, she would give in and tell him everything and she didn't want to hear what he would have to say concerning them.

How was she going to face Adrien at school in a mere few hours? He had no knowledge of the real her despite multiple attempts. She wanted to hope that, if she told him she was Ladybug, he would smile and scoop her up in her arms at finally knowing his love was closer than he thought. All she feared was he wouldn't believe her and deny her honesty as she had hotly denied his attempts when they first met. She remembered the horrible words she spoke when she refused to believe that he was trying to take gum off her seat...how his face looked when she butt in on his attempts to speak... Those cold instances after she had seen how downtrodden he had been whenever he tried to merely say hello and she refused his friendliness. Being on that side of the coin just terrified her now.

She huddled up on herself in the chair and buried her face in her knees. She couldn't do it! So much feeling from her was riding on this! Every emotion she felt for him would break into a thousand tiny pieces if she heard anything negative coming from him. She would never be able to look at him again if that was the case. She would probably go so far as to ask to be transferred to a different class so she wasn't sitting behind him every day with a stark reminder of that possible blunder...even if that meant leaving Alya in that class too...

The dawn crept in and lightened everything inch by inch. She was exhausted all over again from her mind tormenting her all night and the lack of sleep. She heard the noises of businesses below opening and stood at the metal railing to take in the morning. It provided little calm to her. What was she going to do? She couldn't go to school like this! Could she feign continuation of the sickness which granted her reprieve from her parents last night? Fingers gripped cold metal as she stared to the ground below. She was in no way better; it might be possible...

She finally exited the top of the building and headed to the lower part of her room. She stared at the closed hatch to the living area in silence for a while. Being sick from school was nothing for a day, but how long did she need to be able to build herself back up to be fine in Adrien's presence? She couldn't fake being sick for that many days! Her mom would ship her off to the doctor, who would prescribe her in perfect health, and then she'd have to go even if she wasn't prepared for it.

"Marinette? Are you awake?"

She jumped at the muffled voice, but moved for the hatch. Hopefully, her scattered appearance would do the job for her.

She slowly went downstairs, feeling out of place in her own home after a night of being caught in her own mind. She stared at her glorious mother and wished nothing more than to throw her arms around the woman and cry into her shoulder. She wanted to have her mother stroke her head, listen to her worries, and tell her that things would be alright in the end. She wanted to believe them, but she stayed rooted to the bottom of the stairs...eyes tearing up again. "Mama...I can't...I can't go to school today..."

"Goodness! You look a mess! Are you feeling alright?"

Her mother rushed over, hand against her forehead to feel for a fever. She knew she would be cold after having spent all night outside. The temperature change may just make her skin clammy enough to help create the lie of a fever. Her mouth opened slowly, foreign to herself. "I'm...still not feeling...well..."

"You look like you haven't slept! Do you want any food? I'll call the school and tell them you're staying home today."

Such heavenly words filled her with a sense of relief big enough to make a few tears fall. At the mention of sustenance and having eaten nothing after so many hours, her stomach grumbled loudly through her agony. She blushed a little and looked away. "I think I can manage something..." She sheepishly mumbled.

A hand rested on her shoulder and she looked to a tender smile. "I'll make you a plate and bring it up to you. You go back to bed and get some rest. Your father and I will be downstairs all day, but we can come check on you later."

She had never loved her mother so much than in this moment. She gave in to the sudden urge to hug her as tightly as she could in exchange for the words she couldn't say. "Mama...thank you...!"

She finally pulled herself away moments later, wiping her tears and slowly heading back to her room. She closed the hatch and stared at the silence of her space. She watched as the shadows were scared away by the light and found the many posters of Adrien on her wall. Her feet moved on their own and she stopped in front of her desk within arm's reach. Ever unblinking, a finger slowly floated up and stopped at his face. She languidly drew Chat's mask around Adrien's eyes, not even able to see Adrien for Chat Noir. Her hand suddenly jerked back as she registered her own actions, eyes locked on the softness of his smile in the picture.

She slumped to the floor and stared at her hands. This was bad...worse than she ever thought it could be! The dark only helped conceal all of the troubles running rampant through her brain. Daytime made things so much worse and she didn't know if two days away were going to help her heart.

"Marinette? Are you okay?"

She felt Tikki close by. She remained in her stance, finally seeing her kwami when Tikki floated into her view and stopped over her hands. She slowly cupped them and brought her kwami up to face-level. She felt tortured all over again when required to explain herself to someone else. "Tikki..." She stammered, eyes hot again. "I still...can't face Adrien... What happens if Paris is attacked by Butterfly?I won't be able to win like this Tikki... I can't even bring myself to see Adrien!"

"You'll find a way Marinette. I believe in you." Tikki quietly reassured, small digit patting her hand lightly.

01010

Oh god, where was it?! This was turning into the biggest panic attack he had ever had! Not even managing to fool everyone with his secret identity was this scary! He spent all day being totally preoccupied at school in his desperate attempt to remember just where he had lost that book! He mentally tried to retrace his steps and always came up short. He used a few breaks in class and lunch, making hasty excuses to his friends, to search the school instead of heading home to eat. He came up empty-handed and even trying to ask a few possible people in the library about the book produced no results. All he had left was the park, but he wasn't able to get there at the end of the school day with his schedule.

He'd have to try tomorrow...

Oh the horror if his father found that book missing from his safe! There would be no real way to incriminate him though. He hadn't known it was even there until very recently! But, aside from Natalie and a few other workers, he was the only other suspect in the house. How often did his father get into that safe, he wondered. If it wasn't a common occurrence, maybe he could get by with that hope for a while until the item was located.

Would his father broach him on the subject? He couldn't even see that happening. There was a false sense of security in knowing that his father would actually have to find the time to approach him and try to find a way to bring up that missing book on the miraculous stones without giving away that he had it. It was enough of a comfort to keep him from freaking out entirely.

Why did such a book even exist?! It seemed too dangerous! He wished he had more time to look through it. It would have been amazing to find out more about the Chat miraculous. Not to mention that Ladybug's miraculous was listed! He mentally cursed another lost chance at finding out any more information about her.

When the afternoon wound down and his schedule lightened up for the day, he took a few moments to himself outside of his extensive search. All his extraneous classes were done, his food had been eaten in his own company, and he had retired to the solace of his immense room. Any homework was brushed aside though. No way would his head let him rest until this mystery was figured out. Thoughts and hopes of the book possibly being in the park led astray to his time with Lila, when he last had the book out in her presence. When she had confessed to being the fox miraculous. How did she know that if she had lied to him? Did she see the book more than he had? He remembered how she had taken it out of his grasp and fumbled through a few pages in his presence, but neither of them saw the fox miraculous.

That thought only opened up yet more questions. How many stones were there?! Did a fox miraculous really exist? There was his, Ladybug's, and Butterfly as far as he knew. Why were there so many? He knew if he had that book he might be able to get even a little more information...even if the language was out of his reach.

His mind took a different turn at the thought of the stones. 'Ladybug...' He stared out the large amount of windows to his room to the dying sunlight of the day. What was wrong with her lately? That day in the park had produced a reaction he had never seen and it was startling to say the least. Then, when Volpina had his image dangling at the top of the Eiffel Tower, she almost gave up her miraculous! The one thing that neither of them must ever do! His heart fluttered at the possibility that she had been that worried for his safety, even if that Adrien wasn't real. A smile crept onto his face as he indulged that fantasy for a second.

" _I need to check! I'm not talking about this any longer. I got this!"_

He remembered how she had insisted on checking up on him and making sure he was okay in his room. She argued with Chat over it, even though she was in danger of transforming. He had never known her to ever show that much extra concern and put herself at such a risk of turning back to her real self for anyone else. She had always insisted on keeping her lives private from everyone. Did that mean that she worried for him more than everyone else because she cared just a little more than normal? He leaned against the windowpane heavily, heart soaring despite himself. Oh if that were only true! His dreams would become reality and he couldn't be happier!

He sighed and used the strength of the glass to hold him up as he leaned his back against it. He listlessly stared into the expanse of his room, to all his useless things. His heart thumped in his chest, emotions running on overtime. It wasn't the first time he had been such a fool over her, whether in her presence or in the privacy of his own room.

Loving Ladybug was like the biggest adrenaline rush. It was like being on top of the world. It was being in the presence of the most awesome superhero ever. It was the best high of his day to be next to her and feel like he was working with her and not under her...although she did give orders almost every time. Not like he wouldn't gladly take them and then some!

How could one NOT fall in love with Ladybug? She was so perfect in every way! The figure aside, she was so amazing! She was emotionally strong, exceptionally clever, really smart, outgoing, and occasionally indulged his pretty words toward her. She even praised his actions at times and he always felt great whenever she did so. She was so out of his reach in so many ways and only by being Chat Noir could he ever hold a candle to the light she radiated. No...even when he was Chat Noir, he still fell short when compared to her.

They were supposed to be two halves of a whole, but many times she took care of the situation when he was incapacitated. Sometimes he wondered why he was even there! Heartbreaker, the Puppeteer, Chronogirl, Princess Fragrance...oh god the embarrassment he still faced when he realized how easily he fell into their traps! Although, many times he jumped into the line of fire to protect her, as rightly he should have, so he didn't feel too bad for most of them. He didn't know if he was just that careless when she was around because she turned him stupid or what...

Oh if only to be able to hold her like he really wanted to and whisper the words always on his tongue! What would she do? Any time he got that close to her was because he was pulling her from direct line of fire and she always pushed him away...although they WERE in the middle of battle at the time... He easily remembered that Valentine's Day when he summoned up his courage to finally say something. She was shocked, but she didn't move from his hold, didn't push him away. He sometimes daydreamed what she would have done had Heartbreaker not intervened and made a huge mess of things. Even now, picturing such a scenario it made his heart beat faster, even though he couldn't remember most of it because he was being controlled.

" _You_ _realize_ _all_ _the_ _awful_ _stuff_ _you_ _told_ _Ladybug_ _today?"_

His face burned hotter than the sun. Hands covered his face through a groan as he slid to the floor in total mortification. He was never going to let himself live that down! Plagg thought it was oh-so funny too! Despite being unable to remember any of it on his own, he couldn't forget the entire incident ever occurred. He finally got his kwami to shut up about it, but until then, his ears suffered a fate worse than any lecture from his father.

He was a mess and she always reduced him to this puddle of insecurity wrought by extreme love. It bubbled inside him, demanding to be let out to the one person he desperately wanted to show it to. She never gave him enough time to ever fully and deeply confess his feelings, but he also jailed his own heart when around her. Many times it seemed sufficient to just be around her like he was able and work in time with her rhythm. Seeing her so often, even as Chat, made it possible to dull the ache of wanting to do more...to be more with her...

His head lightly thunked against the window with another sigh. Would this ever get fixed? Recent events only made him want to hope even more that projecting his love onto her wouldn't get him the biggest denial outside of his usual, light advances. Those he could see; he was never really serious on those. He only played a little to appease his heart at times...and maybe to see how she'd react?

"Are you going to sit there on the floor all night or are you actually going to sleep?"

He looked up to his kwami floating above his head and gave a smile at such constant behavior. He stood and looked into Plagg's annoyed eyes, shaking his head at the lack of tact and his own eyes narrowing some. "I was just thinking of Ladybug again."

"I could tell as much." Plagg floated away without any other hint of concern. "Go to sleep so I can sleep. I'm tired!"

He snorted in amusement, but headed to get ready for bed. Nothing would be accomplished by doing what he often did: agonize over his own ineptitude of keeping his mouth shut and his feelings inside. If it did, he wouldn't be sunk into the pits of love as deep as he was, sitting in frustration and longing every day.


	3. Shaking in Battle

The day seemed to pass by slower than usual, but he figured that was a given considering that he really wanted school to be over so he could search the park! It was perhaps the one time he wanted class to finish quickly so he could escape and do some looking. He didn't skip out on lunch this time in order to keep up appearances that nothing was wrong.

Once the final bell rang, he tried to get out before anyone else could in order to not get caught by Chloe or Nino or Alya. He had precious little time to search the park, starting with the spot he had been in. Thankfully, it wasn't too far away from the school and it was a quick jog to get there. Within minutes, he had dropped his bag on the chair he found Lila at and was checking the entire space around it. He even peeked in the nearby trash can just in case, but found nothing.

His frustration and panic were growing after having covered over half the park. Where was it?! This was the last place he could think of! If it wasn't here, he was in so much trouble! He didn't want to bring himself to his father and tell him what had happened, but he wondered if he would escape half the wrath if he just confessed to having gotten the book.

The next problem was finding a way to tell his father that he got into the safe without ratting out Plagg flying through it. There was literally no way he could say he managed to figure out the combination to the safe before leaving for his fencing class. Telling his father would only give rise to more questions and his father's suspicions would crash down upon him. He already feared his father might know he was Chat from that time he tried to order him around during the invasion to the mansion!

After a while, he collapsed aside his bag on the bench and shoved his hands through his hair with a heavy sigh. Fingers gripped as he shook his head almost frantically. No, no, no! It wasn't here! This was worse than bad! This was a catastrophe not worth a Chat pun right now! He tried to take a few deep breaths and tell himself he would be okay. His father wouldn't be able to say anything about the book and there was no way his father knew Plagg would have opened the safe for him! The loophole to him getting in trouble was huge and he grabbed hold of it to save his sanity right now.

"Are you okay?"

His head jerked up, fearing someone had seen him lose his cool. Not Adrien Agreste. He didn't need anything getting back to his father. He blinked as he locked eyes with Alya and sat back in the chair. Seeing her brow go up raised his concern in a new way. Alya was too smart and clever for her own good and she was always trying to get behind Ladybug's identity; he didn't need her starting on him too!

He quickly pasted on a smile and grabbed his bag as if getting ready to leave. "I'm fine." He quickly waved off her look of confusion and intrigue. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you that same question." Alya looked around the park before looking back to him. "I was looking for you actually. I had a request of you, but you took off so quick after school that I had a hard time tracking you down."

His head tilted to the side, brow raising. "Request? Um...well...I'll see if I can help depending on what it is..."

Alya's arms crossed with a smile that spoke of something only she knew of. "I was about ready to go visit Marinette. She's been absent from class for two days now and apparently she's sick, but I don't remember ever seeing her show any signs in class beforehand. Either way, I was going to go give her the stuff she missed out on and maybe you could come with to help cheer her up if she's feeling that bad."

He blinked and looked over to where the bakery was a short ways away. He had been so preoccupied with the book that he never noticed she was gone! How? She sat right behind him all day and he talked to Alya and her lots of times! He immediately felt bad for having never asked for her whereabouts or paid her any mind until Alya informed him. He nodded and lightly grasped the wide strap over his chest. He instantly felt like he needed to make it up to her in some way. "When do you plan on going over?"

She looked to the bakery. "Soon as I found you. Let's go."

It was a short walk and within less than ten minutes, they were at the bakery main door. The smells of sugar and baked goods wafted outside when Alya pulled the door open. He followed her in and greeted Marinette's parents with Alya. He let Alya do all the talking and hung back, listening all the while. Hearing Marinette's mother's explanation of her illness seemed vague and there were a lot of pieces that didn't fit. He hoped that maybe visiting Marinette would explain a few things.

He followed Alya up the back stairs to the living section of the corner building. She knocked on the door and listened, but no one answered. She looked at him and shrugged in confusion before opening the door. "Mrs. Dupain-Cheng didn't care if we just head in..." She muttered, sticking her head in and looking around as if she were attempting to break in. The house was eerily quiet for supposedly housing someone and they both walked inside in total confusion.

He took in the comfy living space he had visited a few times before and watched Alya snoop around for Marinette on the floor they were in. She came up empty-handed and paused at the bottom of the stairs to Marinette's bedroom. His hand reached out despite himself. "Wait! What if she's asleep?" He murmured.

Alya paused before her hand pushed the hatch open. "Hmm, good point. I'll just be quiet about it then." She took a step before stopping and looking at him a little chagrined. "Oh...and you might want to prepare yourself for her room... She doesn't know you're with me."

A brow rose out of sheer confusion, but his curiosity rose and he tried to be quiet as he made his way up with Alya. He had been in Marinette's room before...what was the issue? He thought her room was really nice in its own way and totally spoke of her own character.

Alya's hand slowly edged the board open to peek her head up through it and looked around. "Marinette? Are you here?"

There was a sudden shriek paired with a crash and the pair hurried upstairs. He stopped before his legs could fully take him into her room, blinking in shock at the image of her lying in a heap under her desk chair.

Alya hurried over and picked it off her. "Are you okay?! What are you doing?"

She slowly moved, hand going to her head with a wince. "Ah...I was just -" She looked over and met his eyes. Hers widened exponentially and she quickly jerked back before she could think, knocking her head against the desk board. "OW!"

"What is the matter with you?" Alya quickly crouched next to her and looked her over. "We thought you were asleep and you haven't been answering my calls or texts. I heard you were sick so I came to check up on you and give you the homework you missed out on over the last two days. By the way, I brought Adrien with me. I didn't think you'd mind."

Tears fell from her eyes at the pain, but it helped against the tracks already on her face. She used that to make it look like the redness of her eyes was from what she just accidentally did to herself and not how long she had been weighing pros and cons and merely scaring herself with what-ifs again.

He finally entered the room the rest of the way and almost awkwardly stood back and watched. He wanted to go to Marinette, but she was curled up in a shaking ball of pain, clutching at her head. He didn't know if it was a good idea to move to her until she felt a little better. He stared at her, seeing the look of agony on her features...and then his eyes looked up to the computer she had apparently been sitting in front of.

His face was all over her desktop...pink hearts drawn around his head.

His eyes widened as he took in the poses he recognized from previous photo shoots. His mouth opened a little on its own as he found extra magazine pictures of himself above her computer. He suddenly wondered if Alya meant that he needed to prepare himself for seeing so much of his face in her room...which he had never seen before in his previous visit...

"Why is he here?!"

He jumped at the sudden, loud exclamation and his eyes shifted back to Marinette. He saw her clutching Alya's arms with a sheer look of panic on her face. Such an outburst apparently only was a mystery to him; Alya merely patted her shoulder with a kind look. "I thought he might be able to cheer you up... You've been home sick for two days now, but I don't remember seeing you sick before that. Are you feeling well?"

She couldn't think, almost couldn't breathe. It was too much! She wasn't mentally prepared! She should have known Alya would have pulled something like this! She shot to her feet despite her head killing her and backed up, eyes locked on him, until her hip bumped into the desk. She jolted and looked to it before strictly meeting his gaze. Adrien was standing mere feet away from her! Oh god...oh god no! She couldn't do this! She had almost thought she might be ready to go to school tomorrow and at least try to say hello to him like nothing had happened, but now that he was in her room, she could tell nothing had been solved.

Never had there been a time when his confusion was greater. Marinette was staring at him like he was about ready to attack her! He shuffled on his feet uncomfortably, feeling like he was the problem to her whole dishevelment. A hand went to awkwardly scratch the back of his head, but she jumped at his movement and tried to back away from him again. His arm fell against his side uselessly. "Marinette...i – if I'm being a problem...I can leave..."

Her heart thundered in her chest. She couldn't push out words to answer him if she tried. Her mouth opened in a valiant attempt to give him anything, but she barely forced out a squeak.

Alya suddenly stood up and was in her face. "What is the matter with you?! I know it's Adrien, but pull yourself together!" Hands went to her hips, face somewhat admonishing. Alya openly looked her up and down with critical eyes. "You certainly don't look sick, although you don't look well, that's for sure. What happened to you in the last two days?"

She could never blurt out that the love of her life loved her back and she was fearing telling him to see if his love still held true! Saying anything about Adrien's love for her would rat him out as Chat who was in love with Ladybug. She turned tortured eyes to Alya, mouth opening and closing. If she said a word, they may just end up on the blog, although she didn't think her good friend would ever do something so cruel. "I...I..." Hands clutched the desk behind her, legs shaking. "Haven't been...feeling well..."

Alya's head tilted. "Yea, we can both see that well enough." A hand reached up and cupped her forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever. Did you go to the doctor?"

Amidst the mothering, they locked eyes again. He could see her trembling, knuckles white against her grip. His befuddlement rose and he felt even more like he was the issue here from the frightened look she was directing his way. He quietly searched her eyes through his concern, seeing panic and pain and...hope? And longing? He didn't understand any of the emotions running away from her eyes, but they only seemed to happen when she looked at him. He wanted to ask, but felt like it was a bad time to do so. Not with Alya in the room.

A sudden, loud beep brought the situation to a screeching halt. Alya quickly fumbled for her phone and pulled it out. The news came out loud and clear from the tiny speaker, reporting that Volpina was again in the area. Alya gasped, eyes almost sparkling. "I thought she was taken care of by Ladybug?" She queried, asking what was on everyone's minds. Within minutes, Alya was grabbing her bag and heading around him for the lower level. "Like I'm going to miss this a second time!"

She reached a hand out. "Alya, no!"

'Don't leave me alone with him!'

She forced herself to keep from saying it, but it was hard. The words almost slipped out and would have betrayed her even more than her actions already started to. Her hand awkwardly fell back to its place at her side.

"Do you want to go after her?"

She jumped and looked to him with wide eyes. Her adrenaline spiked, hands trembling. It would be a great excuse, but what about him? She had to get him a way out so that he could also escape to transform. When that thought hit, that she would have to fight alongside Adrien as Chat, she lost the will to stand. She would have to put up with his puns and his flirting with her, should any of that happen. Hands clutched her head, anguished eyes pointedly staring at the floor. "Augh! This is all messed up!"

The only one messed up was her and he REALLY wanted to go to her and find out what he had done or said which had caused her to be such an emotionally scrambled mess! The mass amount of questions that kept sprouting, mostly concerning the decor in her room which he wasn't privy to last time, were pointedly tucked away for any possible availability later."Marinette? Are you...okay?"

She twitched, lips pressing tight. Her teeth grit. "Um...I think...my parents were supposed to...check on me... I'm going to go see...see why...why they haven't yet... I'll...um...be back soon... C – can you wait here...w – while I...go downstairs?"

His brow rose, but he didn't question her. He nodded and watched her scramble away down the stairs as if running from a fire. From him. The door clunked behind her and then he was alone in her room with his magazine pictures. He looked around in the quiet, lips tightening at the upheaval of it all. But, this was the chance he needed to get out and help Ladybug beat Volpina. "Plagg."

His kwami flew from his shirt in a second. "Geez. What is the ruckus about out here?"

"I have no idea. But, we have to ignore that for now. It's time to transform!"

01010

She watched from a window downstairs till she saw Chat come out of her balcony and hurry away. She let him get to the area first before heading back up to her room, where Tikki was hiding. She closed the board to her room and nervously looked to her kwami. "Tikki...I – I don't know if I can do this!"

"You have to be strong Marinette! Only you can purify the akuma. I know this is a scary time for you, but Paris needs you."

She took a deep breath and tried to keep it from shaking as she released it. She was about ready to go fight next to the love of her life and defeat evil as she had done dozens of times before. She hoped she didn't make too many mistakes this time.

"Tikki, transform me!"

In mere moments, she was flying away from her rooftop toward the area she heard on Alya's phone. She let befuddled pondering about why Volpina had returned take over her mind and help keep her head empty of Chat Noir. She arrived on the scene to find him battling about a dozen Volpina's at once. He remembered that most of them were probably illusions and was in the process of beating them away with his staff. She stood above on a rooftop, mentally praying he didn't get too hurt!

Why was Volpina back? She knew that Lila was still angry after she cured her the first time; there must have been a lot more residual anger toward her and Butterfly apparently grasped hold of that with all his might.

"I said: bring me Ladybug you stupid cat! I don't care about you!"

She jerked and her eyes thoughtfully narrowed. Volpina was purposely asking for her. She ignored all of Chat's witty remarks and swung down. She landed a safe enough distance from him and took a few steps to get Volpina's attention. Her arms swung wide, though she was on high alert. "Here I am Volpina. What do you want with me?"

"Aside from taking your miraculous stones? I want to crush you!"

There was sheer loathing in the venom thrown her way. She knew enough from the last battle that any of Volpina's attacks would be illusions and used her yo-yo to disperse all of them. She kept walking forward, trying to feel out the situation and figure out the fastest way to end this. She tried to purposely keep her attention on Volpina and never look Chat's way. She had a feeling that if she did, she would crumble. "If this is still about what I said at the park, I truly apologize Lila! Really I do! I understand now what it's like when you really care for someone and how scary it is that they may not like you back! I should have never said those things to you. I really am sorry!"

"Sorry isn't going to change the situation!" Volpina snarled. An accusing finger whipped toward her face. "You humiliated me in front of Adrien and all the apologies in the world aren't going to change how he thinks of me now! I'll just get rid of you and be Paris's next super heroine. No one will care with the power that I have!"

"Like we're just going to sit by and let that happen? Doesn't look like anything is different about you this time. Couldn't have at least given us something new to work with?" Chat threw out with a smirk.

She twitched at the cockiness in his voice. Before, it would have annoyed her to hear his random comments, but her jaw only clenched in serious attempt to not give herself away. She took a deep breath, trying to keep control, and narrowed her eyes on Volpina. "Your powers have always been lies and illusions, Volpina. There's nothing you can do that we don't already know about."

Volpina smirked, eyes narrowing. "Oh, but now I know your weakness Ladybug. I saw it last time and I've been waiting for the right time from Butterfly to contact me in order to have my revenge."

He looked to Ladybug, taking in her features and finding her a little worried. He blinked at the total loss of the previous cool he had seen since she arrived. His curiosity burned a hole in his attitude toward Volpina. Ladybug had no weaknesses! What was Volpina going on about?

She clenched both hands and readied in a stance to attack. "There is nothing you know about me that you can use against me." She quickly denied, not believing herself. Her hand threw out her yo-yo right at the illusion. Volpina disappeared into a dust cloud of mocking laughter. "Argh! Come out and fight me Volpina!"

"Hey! Wait up my lady!" He quickly grabbed his staff and extended it after her as she took to the rooftops. He caught up behind her, trying to take in her profile as she swung around the neighborhood in desperate search for their target. "What's the matter, Ladybug? You seem slightly purrterbed right now."

She made the mistake of looking over at that crack and found out how close she hand landed next to him on the rooftop. She gasped and shuffled back, losing her footing on the steep angle and her hands flailed.

His hand shot out in a panic, although he didn't know why he did so. She could have easily caught herself on anything with her yo-yo and escaped danger, but the look on her face said she wasn't thinking of such things. He steadied the two of them and yanked her back up with the powers of his suit. "Careful Ladybug! We wouldn't want you squished on the sidewalk below like a bug now, would we? I would be one sad kitty if that ever befell you."

She ignored his puns for the fact that he was still holding onto her arm. Against her will, she turned beet red and jerked her hand away. "W – w – we have to find Volpina!" She stuttered, quickly going for her yo-yo and the next rooftop.

His brow shot up as he watched her swing away. His head shook, hands shrugging in the air helplessly. "What is going on with you still?" He quickly followed, keeping an eagle eye on her and the tense body language she gave off. He wanted to assume it was because they were trying to defeat evil, but anytime they landed near each other, she quickly shimmied away before moving on. It was making him suspicions and worried that something was really wrong with her, or that he had done something to her, but he would have to wait to ask until after they beat Volpina again.

She stopped a ways away, knowing she was safe for a second with Chat still trying to catch up. A hand clenched and pressed against her forehead. "Get it together Marinette!" She quietly scolded. "Volpina comes first! Escaping Ad...Chat is second!" Even saying his name made her eyes burn. He was this close and he had touched her, but she had to act like none of it mattered. She wasn't supposed to return his affections; she was supposed to find them stupid and boring! None of his advances were supposed to make her this happy or make her heart beat this fast. Her mind wasn't on battle in any sense; it was on how good he looked in his miraculous suit.

Thinking to Chat's attitude so different from Adrien's made her wonder again if Chat was the real Adrien hidden underneath his father's thumb. She thought back to the many times Adrien had winked at her as Marinette. She had always thought they meant something, but it was probably his real, playful nature coming out without him realizing it.

Any time he got close enough to touch her when they landed, her adrenaline spiked and made her heart beat faster. She wanted to forget everything that was going on and embrace him, but the folly in that was too great. Despite the fact that he'd be in heaven, he would start asking questions and hold her so she couldn't escape. She would end up returning to being Marinette and then have some serious explaining to do.

"If we keep this up, we're going to get to the other side of Paris." He complained, pausing to catch his breath next to her. He leaned on his staff and took in her posture. "Got any plans, my lady?"

The pet name she had often found cute. Now, it was downright dangerous. Her cheeks flushed and she quickly turned away from him, making it look like she was scanning the horizon. "Volpina said that – that she knew my weakness. What was it about that last battle which gave me away that she's trying to use against me now?"

A clawed finger lightly tapped against his lips as he also thought about that recent day. "Well...you did almost give her your miraculous stones when you thought she was about ready to drop Adrien from the top of the Eiffel Tower... How is that a weakness? You could've caught him, right?" He said it so easily, as if he were merely curious. On the inside, every inch of him was brimming with stark need to know her answer. If she only knew how much her next words would affect him, would she be more careful with what she was about to say? He tried to outwardly play off the sudden spike in his heartbeat and the hitch in his breath. The smile remained pasted on his face and he swallowed harshly.

She mentally cursed herself for giving away the one thing that would always be held against her. She berated herself in her head and glared at the ground below. She quickly turned in a different direction and swung her yo-yo across the rooftops. "I know where the real Volpina is." She cryptically muttered, purposely escaping his question.

He openly pouted that his words wouldn't be responded to properly, but followed her. "So...where are we going this time?"

"Adrien Agreste's home."

He almost missed his landing. Quick footing and a little embarrassed flailing managed to land him next to her, but she didn't look his way. In fact, it just dawned on him that she practically ignored looking at him since they met up to fight. "So...Adrien Agreste is your weakness, huh?" He forced a charming grin and leaned in. It was torture to keep the real ecstasy off his face. "I thought I was supposed to be it. I'm wounded!"

She couldn't hide the flush on her face and the way her hands flailed very distinctly Marinette-like. "W – w – would you focus?!" She stammered, harshly shoving him away with both hands. She ignored the surprised cry and the spill onto the roof as she took off again. She wouldn't be able to keep up appearances much more if he kept doing stuff like that!

That was a little more like the Ladybug he knew...but there was still something really off about her behavior. He couldn't figure it out yet, but he wondered a little more teasing might provide the proper clues to ask the right questions. He didn't mind seeing Ladybug red in the face to match her outfit, but this really wasn't the time for it.

As if imminent danger ever stopped him though?

He wasn't going to lie though, the fact that she never outright negated his question sent his heart into overdrive. He tucked that clue away for later to ask questions about and maybe prod her a bit for some more information after this was over. A rush of adrenaline easily had him caught up to her and he couldn't hide the happy smile on his face when they arrived near the rooftop to his mansion.

She stared at the immense building, suddenly fearing something that hadn't occurred to her yet. If Master Fu was correct, then Adrien's father, as Butterfly, was in that building somewhere! The place was huge; he could easily be hiding in any of the unused rooms in Adrien's house. A hand came up, fingering her lower lip as she stared hard at the place. "Hmm...this is going to be harder than I thought..."

"What's so difficult? All we have to do is swing in and destroy her illusions." Without waiting for a response, he pushed off with his staff and swung through the air for the roof of his home.

"No!" Her hand reached out, but only grasped air. She growled at the words she couldn't begin to speak and quickly threw her yo-yo out in order to catch up to him. She landed near him and glared his way. "You stupid cat! Think before you just jump in! It's dangerous to be here!"

Hands went behind his head as he took in her flushed, upset look. His brow rose, head tilting. "We've been here plenty of times to fight other villains...what's so wrong about it now? It's just Adrien's house, right?"

Fingers went to her forehead as if he was giving her a headache. She didn't have the time to get into it with him right now! She heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "It's...it's too complicated right now! I don't even know where to begin..."

"How about giving up your miraculous and surrendering?" The pair whipped to the smug voice behind them and found Volpina with a knife to Adrien's throat. She gave a cruel smirk and flashed the blade close to his skin. "That is...if you don't want to lose your precious Adrien..."

He scoffed and made to answer Volpina when a snarl of pure rage came from his comrade. He looked over in shock at the noise and was even more stunned to see a look of utter anger radiating from her features. His hands dropped from his head, unable to pick his brain back up. It took a few attempts to get his tongue to form words at seeing her act like this. "Ladybug...it's - it's probably an illusion! Just like last time; that can't be the real Adrien!"

She knew this. The real Adrien was standing next to her making wisecracks and wearing tight black...whatever their suits were made of. But just seeing fake Adrien looking panicked and helpless with immense fear on his face forced strong, protective instincts to the surface. It clouded her reason and her fists clenched so tightly that her arms started shaking.

"Are you sure?" The knife pressed hard enough to the illusion's throat to draw a trickle of blood.

It was an illusion...just an illusion! She knew this because she could feel the real Adrien's curious eyes burning into her...but the glare she threw across the way said otherwise. "You...you...you're giving up your akuma and I'll teach you well to try such tricks against me again!"

There was almost pure hatred in her voice and he was too taken aback to be able to move or speak. His mouth dropped open through his apparent shock. He watched the scene with a perverse sense of glee, even though it was a given that she should be more than angry at such a thing.

If it were real...

Her emotions seemed a little too much for the person they were facing. None of Volpina's powers had changed, her methods hadn't changed, her anger hadn't changed. Why was Ladybug acting like this? If Adrien was really her weakness, then he couldn't be happier! Even if such a horrible scene was drawing out what may possibly be her real feelings concerning him...

In one swift motion, Volpina's knife slashed across Adrien's throat and let him drop to the rooftop. He stared in horror, feeling his skin crawl at watching Volpina's attempt to kill him. His hand jerked forward to his illusion as it didn't move, too shocked despite the fact that it was all fake.

"VOLPINA!"

He suddenly jumped at the scream of rage and watched a blur of red whip by him, yo-yo out to dish out payback.


	4. Revenge Complete

In her mind's eye, all she could see was Adrien's life-force draining out of him and his slow decent to the roof at his feet. She never heard herself scream nor felt her legs catapult her into the air. She almost felt the flex of her suit around her as she moved, yo-yo extended to hurt. Red clouded her vision and she felt her features twist into a sense of fury which she had never experienced yet in her entire life. Somewhere behind her, she heard Adrien's real voice yelling at her, but it was too far away and too quiet to get past the blood rushing in her ears.

The illusions disappeared as they always did. She stood there, staring at the ground where Adrien's illusion had been, chest heaving in attempt to catch her breath. It was hard to keep on her feet with her legs shaking as they were. There was no blood anywhere, which was a given. She swung around, foot stomping onto the roof. "Come out and fight me coward!" She yelled, whirling around. "Don't think you'll get away with making me look at something like that and not face the consequences!"

"Ladybug, calm down!" He quickly stopped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She jerked from his grasp and thankfully faced him, but it seemed like she wasn't even seeing him. He tried again and held fast, not letting her go when she attempted to pull away. "If you keep this up, Butterfly is going to turn you evil too! It was just an illusion; it wasn't real! You have to get a hold of yourself! You're the brains of the outfit; you have to think of how to beat her. Don't let her pull you in!"

She let him shake her only once more. She needed it and the words he spoke with that look of massive worry on his face. She exhaled a shaky breath and batted his hands away, turning from him and mentally yelling at herself for giving away so much to him. This was why she had stayed away from him for two days!

She looked around the roof for any sign that Volpina was watching them. They had no idea where she could be hiding because she sent illusions out and they always disappeared without ever showing them where she really was. If they were going to end this quick, she was going to have to use her Lucky Charm. She immediately called upon it, only to catch...goggles?

"Hey, if you needed help seeing, you could've just told me. These cat eyes are great."

She ignored him with more ease than before, mind whirling at exactly what these where. She quickly put them on and looked around. The second her gaze swung to Chat and she saw his body outlined in colors dictating his body temperature, she knew just what their job was supposed to be and for the first time today, a real smile crossed her face. "These should be a huge help. Now the question is just where to find her..."

She looked adorable in a very strange way, but he kept those thoughts to himself. He strode up to her and waved a hand in her face, which she quickly batted away. Whatever they were, she could see him just fine it seemed. "Well, we know she's got to be somewhere nearby if she did...uh...such a stunt on purpose."

She hurried to the edge of the rooftop and looked around. She saw the heat signatures of multiple people in the area, but she bypassed them, only interested in fox ears. "Found you..." She finally mumbled, going for her yo-yo. Not looking to her partner, needing to keep her eyes on her prey, she gave a split second before launching forward. "Follow me."

He had a feeling this was going to get messy and a sense of wariness speared him as he took in the curl of her lips just before she flung away. He watched her movements become very precise and sharp and worried just a little for her sanity...especially after what they just witnessed. He wasn't going to lie though; he was seriously unsettled at his own demise! He kept a close eye on her as he watched her yo-yo swing out with deadly accuracy and ensnare a shocked Volpina with absolutely no way of being able to escape or even move a muscle. He watched her yank their enemy forward almost cruelly and kept his staff in his hands just in case.

"It's over Volpina. You've had your revenge." She bit out, retracting the yo-yo enough to see her foe up close.

Volpina glared back as she continued to struggle. "My revenge won't be complete until I destroy you!"

Her eyes narrowed behind the goggles. "Then consider it complete." Her hand lashed out and grasped the same necklace, throwing it onto the ground and harshly stomping it to pieces without a second thought. The butterfly flew out of it as always did and she gave a quick yank to the yo-yo to get it to unravel. In a second, she had the disc twirling around her as she ensnared the evil butterfly in her weapon. "You've done enough harm, little akuma..."

The purified butterfly flew away, signaling everything was over. He watched her slowly take her goggles off and throw them into the air. They burst into the sky and waves of magical ladybugs flew from them to clean up any mess which had been made by Volpina or themselves. There was a look of resolution on her face as she stared down at Lila who was looking back up at her with hatred.

Lila pointed a finger in her direction. "Do you think this is now over? Butterfly is always waiting for anyone willing to work with him!"

She looked down, jaw set. She didn't dare blink or close her eyes lest the image of Adrien's death haunt her. "It IS over." She quietly declared, body stone. A sense of despair flowed through her at this battle. This one, which had been so more horrific than any she had been in before for obvious reasons.. "I will admit that you won this time. You got your revenge."

"You're still standing!"

"You really believe that?" Her mouth opened to throw out more words, but she quickly closed it. Anything else that she said would only betray her and how weak she was feeling right now. It was taking all the concentration in the world just to keep on her feet. "We're done here." She said, slowly turning away. "Please don't try this again."

"I know your weakness! You think I can't tell anyone in Paris and have Adrien used against you?"

She paused and quickly looked over her shoulder, eyes glinting dangerously. "If you do, I'll find you and you won't like what'll happen." Not wanting to listen to anymore or let anymore slip out, she flung her yo-yo and swung away...leaving Chat behind as well. She had to lose him and let him slip back to her room so he could make it back before it appeared that Marinette was looking for him.

At least, that had been the plan. She forgot that Chat was more insistent than that and often times when he wanted something, he wasn't above being pushy to get it.

"Ladybug! Wait up!"

Only the power of his words, of his presence, could keep her from moving any further. The pleading in his voice, the worry, caused her to pause just a few feet away on the rooftop just near her home. She supposed some part of her wanted to bask in the glory of his concern for her welfare. Why wouldn't she? She had never acted out with such open hostility toward ANY villain they had ever fought before! He was probably shocked out of his mind and rightly so!

He landed with ease behind her and slowed his steps till he was within arm's reach, fearful she would take off if he approached her too quickly. So many dozens of questions demanded to be let loose all at once, but it was even more concerning to watch her not move for the longest time...until she let out a huge sigh that spoke of so much which he still didn't know about. A hand timidly rested over a shoulder, taking a few small steps around her to see her better. She was staring hard at the ground, almost refusing to look at him. None of her behavior was normal and she didn't bat his hand away like usual. "What...what was all that about...?"

She didn't want to close her eyes. If she did, she'd watch Adrien's throat be slashed behind her lids. That would keep haunting her until she got back to her room and saw the real him without the mask, to find him in her room as if nothing had happened. After finally realizing he was waiting for any kind of explanation, her mouth opened, but nothing came out. Her eyes darted around the roof tiles almost desperately as if looking for words.

He suddenly smiled and gave her a little shake in vain attempt to bring her back to him. "Ah, I see. Cat got your tongue again, huh?" She didn't flinch, didn't move to give him an annoyed look for the badly timed pun. He needed to try again with something that got her goat last time. "So...Adrien Agreste it is, huh? I suppose you can't do any better than him. Good choice, my lady. Though, personally, I was hoping it'd be me..."

He was doing that on purpose. Making it seem like he wasn't standing in front of her talking about himself in the third person. Still, it had more of an effect than he was probably looking for. She lost the will to be strong and exhaled a small, shuddery breath. Any attempt to cut it off before too much escape failed. A trembling hand covered her eyes as they burned and she swallowed harshly. "I – I don't think...I – I'll ever be able to unsee that...for as long as I live..." She shakily murmured.

His concern spiked and his hands immediately pulled her to him in a tight hug before he could stop himself or revel in the fact that she didn't pull away. She didn't move to embrace him back, but she didn't pull away. "H – hey...it's okay. It wasn't real." He quietly insisted. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her why, but he didn't chance revealing himself in this second. Something told him not to...even though a large part of him wouldn't mind. She was so distraught, he wondered if her knowing who he really was would be too much for her mind in this second. "I'm sure Adrien was nowhere near Volpina. I'm sure he's fine this time."

She left the hand over her eyes to hide the few tears that fell without her consent. She tried not to sniffle too loudly or shake too much, but it was hard. There was so much blood...even for an illusion... She tried to pull herself away from the vision and focus on the strong hands and arms around her, the warmth enveloping her, and his urgent attempts to make her feel better.

Her partner, Chat Noir. He was tactless, brash, obnoxious...caring...strong...kind... She had been a fool not to actually see his real self and not appreciate him for who he truly was. She was an idiot for never considering Adrien to be more than a perfect boy simply because his looks matched the personae he merely portrayed on the outside. This person holding her right now was the real Chat; the person who fought with her was the real Adrien.

At length, she discretely wiped her tears, though he probably felt her doing so, and looked up. She searched his furrowed brow, the green of his eyes, the softness of his gaze in silence for what felt like forever. She was trying to look past the mask to erase that vision from her eyes forever. She needed to soothe her mind to know that Adrien was here and he was safe. Her lips slowly parted as words tried to form. "Yea...you're right...h – he's fine...I bet..."

A surge of panic suddenly went through him at the sad, blue gaze staring holes through him. His discomfort rose up and swallowed the happiness of her fitting into his arms. It eradicated the glee of being able to hold and comfort her in a true time of need and the fact that she was letting him. "Yea...he's fine..." He dumbly echoed, still meeting that searching gaze. What was she looking for? He couldn't help his eyes widening a little. The feel of his heartbeat picked up and he prayed she couldn't feel it.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity till a sudden beeping jolted them to her situation. She quickly shuffled from his grasp and grabbed her yo-yo with a flush...finally realizing where she was and for how long. "Ah...I'd...better go..."

He latched onto her before he could think, not wanting to finish this and leave her when she was still so obviously troubled. "Don't go yet! At least tell me before you go...why Adrien? Why is HE your weakness? He's just some random guy, isn't he? You've just saved him before; that doesn't mean anything right?!"

His words had her shaking before she could control herself. She knew that look. She had seen it before on herself in the mirror. She had felt it escape her whenever she looked at his pictures. Her brow furrowed upward as she looked to the hand holding her wrist. Would it be okay in this moment to admit it? Finally? She was precious seconds away from transforming anyway...would this be okay to use to her advantage and see the truth? "I..." She harshly swallowed, fist clenching around her yo-yo. She couldn't do it. Her tongue locked up and refused to work.

Another beep sounded.

"I have to go...Chat..."

"No, please! Please stay. I can't let you leave like this! You're not feeling well; I can tell! Let me help you. Talk to me! You can tell me anything you know! I'm your partner; your friend. If you can't trust me, who can you trust?" He took a step closer and tugged on her wrist a little. "Let me be there for you. Don't push me away!"

Oh how she wanted to believe him. His honesty...his earnestness... It made her soul ache to hear the words he said so passionately and with such emotion. Turning away from him right now would hurt him and she knew this, yet she couldn't do it. She leveled him with a stare of such sweet agony that it made her eyes water. Her free hand floated up on its own and cupped his cheek lightly before she could think of her actions. Her mouth parted a little as if attempting to give him anything.

A third beep sounded. Mere moments were left. "See you next time kitty..."

In a second, she pulled away from his hold and had her yo-yo swinging her down to the ground below. He stayed rooted to the spot for what felt like the longest time before his legs gave out on their own. The adrenaline from her nearness released itself and made him tremble from the sheer force of it all. He let out a pained sigh, looking to the now empty hand. "My...lady..." Tortured eyes looked up to the blue sky, wondering about that entire instance since he touched her shoulder. Never did his heart so much hurt from any other time she rejected his attempts toward her. He racked his brain for answers and clues, always coming up short. A hand covered his face as he tried to control himself. "What is it...? What has you so scared? Talk to me Ladybug... Please!"

After moments, he realized he had to get back to Marinette's room lest she find him missing. He decimated the remaining distance and landed on the balcony, dispersing his transformation in privacy and stopping at the edge to lean over the wrought iron railing. He stared out at the neighborhood with a furrowed brow, feeling sad to his soul. His heart ached for her and he would love nothing more than to take every ounce of pain she felt into himself! She should never be sad, she was too amazing for such a thing. He would give everything in his power to destroy that image in her brain if he could so she never had to see it again. His fingers gripped the railing with a heavy sigh, knuckles turning white.

" _You've_ _had_ _your_ _revenge."_

" _My_ _revenge_ _won't_ _be_ _complete_ _until_ _I_ _destroy_ _you!"_

" _Then_ _consider_ _it_ _complete."_

" _I_ _know_ _your_ _weakness!_ _You_ _think_ _I_ _can't_ _tell_ _anyone_ _in_ _Paris_ _and_ _have_ _Adrien_ _used_ _against_ _you?"_

" _If_ _you_ _do,_ _I'll_ _find_ _you_ _and_ _you_ _won't_ _like_ _what'll_ _happen."_

There was so much there under the surface at that cryptic conversation and her previous actions. Her attitude the moment he showed up as Chat was strange to say the least, but her actions when she thought his illusion has been killed were seriously disconcerting, though curious. His earlier queries of her caring more for him than anyone else ran through his head and he couldn't help but get his hopes up. He wished he had more time to ask her questions and get her to spill whatever was lurking in her brain. He felt like he was so close to something big and yet she was still so out of his grasp.

He draped both arms on the railing and dropped his head on them with a sigh. Would he ever get this resolved? He never wished so much for anything in his life. The heartache on a daily basis was enough to break him, the longing making him miserable.

Despite the whole horrible last battle, he allowed himself a moment to revel in the feel of her in his arms, of the sweet looks she gave him. His heart ate them up and was briefly satiated, even if the reasons for being able to do were entirely wrong. He never wanted to get such compliance from her simply because she had broken down out of sheer lack of willpower. He truly wished their embrace could have come from a much better feeling; from happier moments.

He pushed away from his arms and turned for the entrance to her room. He should probably get back in case Marinette was looking for him. He still hadn't figured out what was wrong with her, let alone Ladybug. He needed to make his friend a priority right now when she also looked utterly uncomfortable about something concerning him.

01010

She was a liar and a coward. She was so close to attempting the biggest leap of faith and she blew it due to her own insecurities! She barely had time to get to the side door before turning back to Marinette. The second she did, she collapsed onto the floor and cried for what felt like forever. She still saw Adrien's death, even though he was probably upstairs in her room by now wondering where she was. At that thought, every inch of her wanted to run far, far away and find solace in anything else. There was still Marinette's emotional unbalance to worry about and she had forgotten all about it.

After what happened to her as Ladybug, there would be no way she could ever see Adrien's face without running to him and crying into his shoulder in knowing that he was alright. How could she begin to explain herself after going back up that ladder and locking eyes with his beautiful green ones? He would embrace her, as he just did, but he would only ask questions about her mental state and not plead for her trust to confide in him.

She stumbled into the back part of the bakery, barely peeking her head past the door. It was fairly quiet, but there were a few customers loitering around. Her mother was up front tending to one, her father nowhere to be seen. She assumed he was in the kitchen, but she didn't move. She'd have to cross the counter area and she didn't want anyone seeing her in such a torn state.

It took forever for those few people to leave. When they finally did, she slowly pushed the door open and took a few steps into the room. "M – mama..."

She locked eyes with her gracious mother who immediately turned concerned and hurried to her side. "Goodness Marinette! Are you alright? You look terrible!"

The arms around her felt even better than Chat's and she relished the motherly strength of them. She leaned into her mother's embrace heavily and let tears come to her eyes. Her original life helped drive away the terror she just witnessed and she grasped one of her mother's arms. "Mama...I...I'm still feeling...ill... Could you pl – please tell Adrien...and see him out? Alya left to chase Ladybug...can you let her know too...if she comes back? I can't...can't see them...mama...not right now..."

A hand slowly stroked her head with a gentle shush. "It's okay. I'll tell your father to watch the front and tend to your friends. You just stay home tomorrow if you need to, okay? We'll get you better my dear... If you don't want to see him, we can have you stay in our room while he leaves and then go back to your own room, okay?"

No questions, no pressing. Nothing but kindness. She smiled and hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you mama..."


	5. Fumbling with the Truth

"I'm so worried about her!"

"Did you manage to find out what the matter was?"

"I haven't had the heart to ask too many questions. She just looks so broken!"

"Do you think something happened at school? Is she being bullied? We know that she has some issues with some of her classmates..."

"I just don't know...but I wish I did..."

The conversation floated up through the closed board to her room, to her ears and her heart. It broke into a dozen pieces at hearing their muffled concern and every inch of her wanted to run downstairs right now and ease their fears by a full description of the boy troubles she had been having for half a week now. But she heaved a sigh and rested a very tired head on her desk in front of her computer and stayed put.

She skipped dinner again. She had no real appetite the last few days. Fear had been eating her stomach into knots and only a few times since this started had she accepted something her mother offered or snuck to the fridge in the middle of the night for something. She only had something to drink because she had been dehydrating herself for days on end now.

Night was falling again. The shadows took away the ability to think up details from the day and she was somewhat glad...even if the night brought something new to her mind.

" _Do_ _you_ _think_ _this_ _is now over?_ _Butterfly_ _is_ _always_ _waiting_ _for_ _anyone_ _willing_ _to_ _work_ _with_ _him!"_

She hugged her knees tighter to herself as she stared at Adrien on her computer screen. She was painfully aware of that. This had been the last straw in so many ways. Not only could she not let any other such battles occur, Butterfly could see through his victim's eyes. He would have also seen her weakness and would use it against her without hesitation. Despite it being his own son, he would use it to achieve whatever his goal was.

Her hands clenched. She couldn't let that happen! Every time she had to fight Chat because he was possessed, she hated it! She was going to have to swallow her feelings and approach Adrien with the truth about his father...and that she knew who he was. She was going to have to explain what happened to that book and hope that he would offer his help to defeat his father and end all this...even if the mere thought of doing so spiked her adrenaline.

Nighttime was the best time to strike and she didn't want to wait any longer. They had the necessary info and battle was inevitable. They were the only ones who could stop him. She tried to eat something her mother had made from dinner before lying and stating she was going to get some much needed sleep and would see them in the morning. She only stayed in her room for a bit to be sure that they were in theirs, and unable to see the light of her transformation from the roof, before she took off for Adrien's home.

It was a short swing to his mansion and she almost wished it was much further away. She stopped on a rooftop facing the huge expanse of windows. There were few lights on in his room and she saw something of his silhouette as he moved around. A light from some screens on the other side of the room helped her track his movements.

Her fists clenched, hands trembling. She could do this! She had done so many more scarier things in her time as Ladybug than have a serious conversation with Adrien Agreste! Maybe she should ask him to transform to Chat so that mental cloud would cover her inability to say anything? No...it made no difference now. She would know it was him either way and her tongue would still refuse to work.

She sighed and then inhaled a breath for strength. With a quick flick of the wrist, her yo-yo caught on something at his rooftop and then she was hanging at the top of his windows, hoping her shadow didn't come into the room too much. She slowly loosened her grip and swung down to the window, inching it open.

"I'm telling you that none of it makes sense!"

"Of course it doesn't; she was acting weird."

"And I wish she'd tell me why!"

"You know how she wants to keep her real life private from Ladybug."

"I know, I know! It's just so frustrating! I thought I was so close for a second there, Plagg. I thought she was finally going to open up to me." A sigh. "In the end, I'm no closer than I've ever been..."

Her heart clenched, jaw following. She had a pretty good idea who Plagg was and she managed to spot him as he flew around Adrien's head like Tikki usually did to her. Her brow furrowed upward at his words and she suddenly lost the will to enter his room. She honestly thought about leaving and trying again later. The decision, however, was not hers to make.

"Well, I think you're finally closer than you ever wanted. Look."

She watched as Adrien quickly spun her way and locked wide eyes with her equally wide eyes. She hung upside-down for a moment before quickly turning and expertly balancing on the lower windowpane. Heart thumping rapidly, she cringed and raised a hand. "Uh...Adrien...h – hi..."

He forgot the ability to breathe, let alone think. All he could see was red and black spots crouching in his window, mimicking a pose he had done so many times before. His hands suddenly trembled. Ladybug was here! She was almost in his room. It was fairly dark and no one else knew she was here. Her actions from this afternoon ran through his head and all he could think, could hope for, was that she was finally here for him. "L...Ladybug..." He mumbled, his mouth barely able to work. He watched her quietly hop down from the window, though she made no move to enter any further. "What...what are you...doing here? Is something wrong?!"

She bit her lip and looked away. The speech she had prepared before she left evaporated. She clutched at her hands, wringing them together a little despite not wanting to show him anything. If she looked in a mirror, she bet she would look quite like Marinette to him. Her mouth opened in attempt to answer him, but only a squeak got out. How did she say that she just heard every word he said?

He suddenly looked to his kwami floating in the air and panicked. His brain scrambled to discretely find a way to hide Plagg in the low lighting, though she made no move to be shocked or notice him...so he hoped. Had she not seen Plagg because he matched some of the blackness of the room? He wanted to shoo his kwami to hiding, but feared Plagg had been heard when she entered. How did he play off that he was only listening to something when his room was totally silent?

He turned to Plagg with wide eyes pointedly telling the cat to scram. His gaze shifted to Ladybug's averted one and back to Plagg. "Ah...haha! If you're worried about what this thing is," A thumb jerked to his kwami, "it's just...um...it's..."

She nodded, still not looking at him. "I...I...kn – know..."

He turned to stone, the ability to breathe leaving him. After a second, he blinked, barely hearing through the rushing of the blood in his ears. Panic and possibly relief like none other raced through him at the same time. "Y – you...you know?" He dumbly repeated. He was vaguely aware of how bad his hands were shaking. "Know...know...what...?"

She finally looked at him across the way. There seemed to be a change in her posture and he wondered at that. He backed up a step before he could control his movements when she took slowly strode to him. She never looked Plagg's way, who still didn't bother hiding. She made no show of having seen his kwami yet, but maybe she didn't need to. She probably saw him before she came in.

She stopped within an arm's distance to him, adrenaline like none other going through her. She tried to take deep breaths, to even remember to breathe, as she stood before him. He was showing so much with those beautiful, wide eyes of his...was he even aware of it? She stared at him in the silence for what felt like forever, unable to get her mouth to move. When it did, she was unaware of what she was doing...was saying. "Ch – Chat..."

He jolted and gave away everything with that look of sheer anxiety. How did she find out?! How did she know? When? Since when?! Why was she just saying something about it now? These unanswered questions screamed at him at once until one glaring thought ran through his brain.

" _Yea...you're right...he's fine...I bet..."_

He recalled all of her clumsiness and odd behavior around him as Chat Noir since they met up for the second battle with Lila. None of that had ever happened before and a few pieces suddenly started outlining the whole puzzle. Whoever Ladybug was must have recently learned his secret from someone. Or maybe she figured it out for herself. Or maybe he finally gave himself away. Or she had seen him change back somewhere. There really were few options to pick from. He highly doubted that she followed him to know because she had always insisted on their never knowing each other. It made no sense that he gave himself away either because he always tried to fully conceal himself in order to not get caught. He also doubted that she was attempting to know who he was like he had been trying to do to her.

His eyes thoughtfully narrowed as he took in her discomfort. There looked to be something on her mind and he didn't want to see her so distraught any longer. Earlier he had been unable to help, but he wouldn't lose this chance a second time. A hand floated up and lightly landed on her shoulder, testing the waters, and trying to give comfort. His eyes softened on their own, lips tilting. "Y – your...Chat is here...my lady..."

Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir and Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste. She knew that; she had known that for days now. She had heard that from Master Fu's lips, had seen the evidence for herself. But...hearing it from Adrien himself drove it home to her heart in a way that she was unprepared for. Her eyes teared and she turned away, taking a few hurried steps for the window. She still couldn't do this!

"No, wait! Stay...please!" He rushed after her and clamped both hands on her shoulders before she could go for her yo-yo. His heart thundered in his chest, feelings in a lump at his throat, eyes desperate. He spun her around to face him and grasped her upper arms. His eyes searched hers, seeing so many feelings there that made him want to hope...want to do something with them. "Don't go. Why did you show up, knowing who I am, only to leave? What was the point? Please, talk to me!"

Her mouth felt like lead. He was holding her so tightly, like he was afraid to lose her. Like she would leave and never come back or ever see him again. She hated herself at seeing the urgency in his eyes, the sheer depth of love that was in them. Her own eyes teared, nose burning. She swallowed the urge to cry at his feelings trying to overtake hers and a hand floated up. She blinked back the swimming of her vision as her fingers lightly touched his cheek.

His hand quickly grasped hers and kept it there. He flattened her palm against his cheekbones, hope daring to shine through to her. "Why are you here?" He nearly whispered. He didn't know who closed the distance first, but they were inches closer than they had been mere seconds ago.

She was losing the ability to think with him so close. All that struck her was the kiss they shared on Valentine's Day not too long ago. She suddenly wanted to do so again, to let him be aware of the memory that had only belonged to her. It was only fair...right? "I...I needed...to talk to you..." She murmured, eyes dancing over his gorgeous face. Her fingers twitched to brush the bangs out of his eyes.

He barely heard her. All he knew, all he felt, was Ladybug's hand that he wouldn't let go of. He could almost feel her breath on his face and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He could barely remember to breathe, let alone take a stable one. All of his feelings for her raged in his eyes and he let them. He wasn't going to lie to her or himself any longer. He wasn't going to lose this chance to finally tell her exactly how he felt!

So many possible sentences that she wanted to make next jumbled together at seeing his face soften, at his lids slightly lower. She harshly swallowed and felt her own lids go down a little. His name echoed in her mind. She could see the strands of his hair so clearly now from one of them having moved even closer.

Just a little closer and then he would do what he always wanted. Plagg's earlier mocking to him on the day he had tried to destroy her and the way she freed him ran through his mind. Finally...he was mere inches away from knowing for himself and reliving everything.

She mentally screamed at herself to focus on the real reason she came here and finally shoved him away so she could think. Being near him was more dangerous than she thought! She took a few steps away to pick her brain back up and find the words she had planned on telling him before. She refused to look at him, fearing how displeased and sad he would be at her forcing distance on them yet again. This really wasn't the time for such things when the time was soon to get much more dangerous! "I...I need to talk to you about...many things..." She mumbled, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

His despair rose like a sailing rocket. Yet again, he was out of reach although she was still in his room. Her words tugged at his cat-like curiosity though and he couldn't help himself but indulge her. Any of her feelings, and his, would have to be stowed away yet again for now. "About what?"

"Butterfly..." Her hands clenched, "is here..."

He jolted, wariness spearing him. "Here? In my house?! How is that possible? Did you follow him here?!"

She sighed and turned to him, but kept looking down in her inability to meet his eyes. "Your...your f -" She paused, face scrunching up, eyes squeezing tight. She hoped he believed her with what she was about to say. "Your father...is Butterfly..."

He blinked at her. His head tilted to the side. He stared at her for what felt like forever as if waiting for the punchline. "I...you...how do you...know that? That doesn't make sense! How could my father be Butterfly?! I know he's cold and fairly uncaring, but how could he try to destroy his own son?"

"I don't think he knows you're Chat Noir." She knew this was going to be hard. Thankfully, she had evidence to help prove her point. "I found his book." She muttered, arms crossing in her discomfort. "It was in a trash can at the park near your house."

His blood ran cold. It HAD been there! But, how did it get thrown away? How did it get out of his book bag?! A quick retracing of that day only pointed to Lila. She was the only one who had seen the book and she knew about a miraculous that he didn't yet. Did she steal it somehow and read it? It DID explain a lot... He took a quick step toward her, feeling a huge weight of relief run through him. "Where is it?! I have to return it to father's hidden safe before he finds out!"

She rapidly shook her head. "He can't have it! Your father is Butterfly and that book is too important! Tikki told me who it really belongs to and I brought it back to him. It's there now in his care."

"Him?"

"Master Fu. The Grand Guardian of all the miraculous stones. I saw them Adrien...there are seven in total and two of them are in your house!"

His head was spinning from this news. If it wasn't coming from her, he would have refused to believe it. Aside from her knowing about the book which he had never known either, he had no way to think her lying. "So...what...what are we...supposed to do? How is my father Butterfly? I can't see it! My father is a famous fashion designer! When is he going to have the time to make akuma and change people evil and send them after us? He can't even spend time with his own son!"

She slowly nodded and looked away. "I know, I know...it's hard to believe. I couldn't see it myself, but Master Fu told me things...things that...I – I didn't...want you to hear...but...if we're going to stop him...you have to know..."

Hands went through his hair. This was too much to take in all at once! And then she was here on top of it! The moment they almost had! He was reeling from all of it since her entry mere moments ago and all she had shoved onto his plate. He finally lost the will to stand and sunk to the floor on his knees. She quickly followed him and he barely registered the concerned touch to his shoulder. This was the only time he purposely ignored her gaze for the floor.

Teeth gnashed at her lip as she watched his eyes bore holes into the carpet. She warred with saying anything more; worried that he would break if he knew what she did. If he knew half of the things she did concerning his mother... She knew he loved her very much and must miss her terribly. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to force the truth out.

"She's telling the truth, Adrien."

The pair suddenly whipped to Plagg floating nearby who was watching the whole thing. He looked bored, as he always did. Plagg nodded when he met his kwami's eyes. "The Grand Guardian has been watching over the seven stones for a long time. He chooses the champions and he has for a while now. He chose you and Ladybug."

He couldn't help the look of disbelief that crossed his features. He never remembered meeting any Master Fu! His miraculous just randomly appeared in his room one day...how had this person ever given it to him? There was never any mention of someone delivering anything to his room and Natalie would have told him if that were the case! He could only go by two different sets of information that matched up. He knew Plagg would know without a doubt...even if it had been a tad difficult to believe Ladybug.

Hands covered his face, this radical knowledge despairing him heavily. "So...what...what am I supposed to do about it? Do you seriously expect me to fight my own father?! As much of a pain as he is at times, I can't battle him! He's still my father! I don't want to hurt him!"

"You have to." She gently insisted. "Don't think about it negatively, Adrien. Think about it as you're saving your father from evil. You have to help him from himself!" Her fingers clenched on his shoulders a little. "We have never been this close to finishing things with him. We're almost there, but I need you, partner. We can't let the miraculous keep being used for evil; that's why we were chosen. It's time to stop all this and end it once and for all."

He let her pull his hands away and clutch them within hers. He felt her sincerity, her honesty, her need for his aid. He stared at her eyes, feeling her so close, and his heart leapt to his throat. "Who are you...?" He breathed, unable to think clearly. He watched her jerk back a little, blinking in shock at the abrupt subject change. His grip switched and grabbed her hands in his, squeezing as his feelings squeezed his heart. "All I've ever wanted...all I desperately want is to know you." His fingers floated up and brushed at the skin under her mask. "I would never tell a soul about you. Believe me. I couldn't...I -" He cut himself off, heart beating and pointless worry rearing its ugly head.

Her eyes went wide as she stared at the emerald of his eyes...so full of expression...of love. Her feelings flew into her throat and for a second, she almost felt like she was going to confess to him. Her mouth opened and a sound snuck by before her earlier fears squashed everything flat. She jerked back, falling on her rear, before scrambling to her feet. She was absolutely shaking at seeing just how much Adrien was in love with Ladybug. The proof of it brought even more paranoia to her and made her even less able to show him who she really was.

He was stunned only for a second, mostly because of the emotions he saw in her eyes to his words. He was almost shaking from the realization that Ladybug must feel something for him. The earlier actions concerning him as Adrien ever since they first fought Volpina, the behavior of her toward Chat, and the way she was acting now in his room made him almost dare to say the words. He stood and stared at her back, trying to find the right things to say and failing.

She looked to how dark his room had gotten and was stunned at how much she had lost track of time. How long had she been transformed for? She hadn't used her powers, but she didn't want to worry about being in the middle of battle with Butterfly and becoming Marinette again. "We need to at least find the peacock miraculous stone." She mumbled, trying to steer things back to the original reason for her showing up. "Master Fu showed me something of what it looks like. It's like a peacock's tail feathers in full bloom."

His eyes narrowed when something tickled his brain. A finger tapped his lips. "I've seen it somewhere lately..."

"Wasn't it in your father's safe?" Plagg suddenly announced. "If he's not there, it'd be easy to get."

Her eyes widened as she looked from Plagg to him. "Can we get into his safe? Where is it?"

He looked at her uneasily. "It's in my father's work room...behind a portrait of my mother." He looked to Plagg. "Can you get into the safe again and open it?"

Plagg snorted. "Easy as swallowing cheese. Just find out if he's still there or not."

Her eyes narrowed, mind trying to calculate a strategy. "We'll have to be sneaky about this. That's the easiest way. Where is Natalie at this hour? Do we have to worry about her?"

His head shook. "If father retires to his room for the night, she's also done for the day." A hand went through his hair with a sigh. "You seriously want me to steal such a thing from my father? How did he get it anyway? Why isn't it in use yet?"

Her mouth opened to automatically answer him and clamped shut. Teeth gnashed her lip as she looked away, too worried about how upset he would be if she told him what she'd learned from Master Fu. "Well...a – about the peacock miraculous... I think if you confront your father about it...you'll find out for yourself."

He eyed her posture and the way she was purposely dodging the subject. She knew something and by the look on her face, it wasn't good, since she was openly anxious about it. He looked to Plagg. "You stay here. I'll go as Adrien."

Her eyes jerked to him. "What? You can't! You have to fight as Chat! You can't let your father use you! He won't hesitate! Not after he's seen through Lila's eyes today."

For the first time since her entrance, he became a little upset with her insistently telling him to fight against his father face-to-face. "It's my father!" He repeated, brow furrowing. "I want to try to reach him first. If it doesn't work, then I'll fight as Chat Noir. I want to see if I can try to talk some sense into him before resorting to something like that."

Her lips pressed together as she looked away. She tried to put herself in his place and understand his hesitation. She was already worried enough for his safety without the power of his kwami present. She leveled him with a stare for the longest time before nodding. "Alright."


	6. Going into Battle

The door to his room inched open amongst the quiet and his head peeked out. Wary, wide eyes checked the initial area of the main hall. It was dark and it was silent. He pulled the door open and tried to ignore the fluttering of his heart with her standing right behind him. "We're okay."

She needed to transform and get Tikki some food for safety's sake just in case things went awry. She grabbed Adrien's forearm when he made a move to leave. "Wait." She hissed. "I need to change back and get Tikki some food first. I don't know how long it's been since I got here. We don't need that possibility in the middle of fighting Butterfly."

He turned and stared at her in the dark. "What does your kwami eat?" He murmured back.

"Um...cookies usually..."

He couldn't help his smile. "Lucky. Plagg only likes the worst smelling cheese in Paris."

Her lips tilted at his Chat-like behavior and she fought a giggle. No...this was all Adrien, she mentally told herself. The real Adrien. She found that she quite liked the dichotomy against the gentle side that she only saw at school. Banter with Chat was often fun, even if it was flirtatious at times. "Can you sneak some from the kitchen and then go get the peacock miraculous? I don't think I'll be much help and since your dad has cameras around the place, I'll be safely hidden here for now. Plus, the more time I wait till I change back, the better."

This was why she was usually the boss and the brains of the outfit. He nodded and grasped her hand before he could realize his actions. "Anything for you, my lady..."

His lips barely brushed against the back of her hand before she gasped, almost too loudly at that, and stumbled back. She flushed to her ears and stomped a foot. "G – get going!" She hissed. "We don't have all night!"

That was more like Ladybug behavior right there and it was something of a relief...even if he didn't really get to kiss her hand like he wanted. A total Chat smile split his face in two. The aftermath was adorable and he tucked it away as he slipped into Chat-mode wearing his usual clothes. He quietly clicked the door shut and kept an ear out for footsteps other than his own muffled ones.

It was a short walk to the kitchen. The cook was gone for the night of course and thus he had free reign of the place. He tried to be as quiet in the cupboards as he could. It was a huge search to find any kind of sweets because of his strict diet by their cook. The majority of the supplies in the entire place were basic ingredients for creating something more complicated. The only thing he found was a small box of macaroons, but considering Plagg was small, he was hoping Tikki was too. Although, Plagg could inhale full sets of Camembert so that wasn't a good comparison right there.

He snuck into his room with the same silent footsteps as if he had on his suit and found her in front of his computer...intently staring down at his mother's picture on his desktop. He paused, brow furrowing at the ability to see her before she noticed him. The light from his screen fully illuminated the tracks on her cheeks and what was still swimming in her eyes. Her head was bowed in obvious sadness, hands clenched to fists and resting on the back of his desk as she leaned on it as if unable to fully hold herself up.

He jerked to attention at that and hurried over, not bothering to keep himself quiet lest she attack him. He noticed her attempt to hide her tears by wiping them away as discretely as possible. He put the box on his desk and faced her. He stared into her eyes, finding them tortured beyond his comprehension, and wondered why. A sense of anxiousness ate at him at such a reaction and he wondered just what she had learned in the last few days since they first fought Volpina.

She tried to take her hand away from his, but he didn't let her go. She fumbled for words, only managing a few syllables in her discomfort. How did she begin to explain how she felt at seeing his mother's face again after knowing a lot about what had happened to her? She wanted to confide in him, but the truth should come from his father since his father knew the whole story. Master Fu's cryptic words of regret had her seriously suspicious, but she didn't want to assume such a possibility. She wanted to stay positive...and she couldn't tell Adrien what was on her mind. She didn't want him to feel like this!

He embraced her before she could shimmy away from him. His arms tightened when she squeaked a little and attempted to get him to let go. He tightened his grip and kept her there. "You always seem to take on so much, my lady. I feel that you're hiding something which greatly concerns me right now. I wish you'd tell me, but your tears are saying it's probably something I don't want to hear..."

She stood in his hold, not leaving, but not making a move to hug him back. He was right on all those points. She let her forehead fall onto his shoulder, drawing strength from Chat Noir that she could feel right now. A hand floated up and rested on an arm after a moment, mind at war. "I...don't know how...to begin to tell you..." She brokenly whispered. "I...I don't want you to feel like I do if you hear what I have to say."

"I wish you'd trust me a little more Ladybug..." He mumbled, letting hurt enter his voice. "Lean on me, even a little! Just because I'm Adrien right now doesn't mean that I'm any different from Chat Noir. You trust Chat, right?" He felt her nod against him and a sense of happiness and relief hit him. He pushed her away enough to look at her with kind eyes. "You're my other half; my partner in this whole adventure. I'll always try to help you, my lady. I'll always try to be there whenever and however you need me."

She let the tears fall, heart swelling. "I...I know..." She brokenly whispered, not wiping them away. She didn't flinch away when his hands came up and his thumbs dried her cheeks. She gave him a small smile for it and stepped back before anything else could change the bottom line. She looked to the box and went to grasp it. Her eyes quickly hardened as she met his. "Plagg has to go with you on this if he got into the safe last time. Don't argue with me about him hiding so no one else sees him. Sneak in, get the miraculous stone, and get out just as quietly. Don't try to do anything heroic!" A finger whipped out in his face. "You understand? Don't try to be Chat right now! You're Adrien and it's bad enough what you're doing without your powers!"

He smiled at her harsh words, knowing she was only concerned for his well-being when she couldn't really come with. His hands went up as if showing he was in possession of nothing dangerous. "I'll be back in a flash, my lady." He kidded, taking a step back to go around her. He felt Plagg's presence just around his head and stopped before he left. "I'll leave the door open so you can keep an ear out for me when I get back."

So he didn't see her as Marinette if she didn't want him to. Her heart cried tears of happiness at his thoughtfulness and she only nodded with a smile. She opened the box and gave him one more look. "Good luck..."

That sent his mood higher than it had been since he last got back and he used it to lighten his step. Considering that there was absolutely no noise the last time he left his room, he didn't think his father was even in the area downstairs. The door was shut and he put his ear to it. Seconds later, he dropped to the floor and peeked under the small gap, looking for light. There was only pitch black to meet his eyes and he quickly, and quietly, inched the door open. Thankfully, there was no creaking to give him away and he hurried to his mother's portrait.

He stopped and looked at it in the poor light streaming through the windows on the other side of the room. Ladybug was crying for some reason, unbeknownst to him, when she was looking at his mother and that had him more than concerned. His fingers reached out and stopped on the frame, not wanting to tarnish the beautiful canvas. She knew his mother had disappeared because he already told her, so why would she act like she did just now? Unless...maybe she had come to know something since then? Maybe whoever this Master Fu was told her more than she ever knew. He needed to make it a point and see this Guardian before too much more time passed.

"Let's do this already."

He jolted when there was the barest traces of a puff of smoke as Plagg passed through the painting. He carefully pulled the portrait out of the way and a second later the safe popped open. He wished he would have brought a flashlight, but Ladybug's orders dictated not to so no one saw him. "Plagg." He hissed, quickly looking to the door. "Can you see it?"

"I'm a cat. I can see everything just fine." Plagg picked it up and gave a hum. "It's the real thing alright. I can feel power when I touch it. Here."

His hands quickly cupped together and mere seconds later, something cold dropped into his hands. His fingers felt it, trying to figure out the shape. A peacock's feathers in full bloom, huh? He remembered it being in front of his mother's photo in the safe, next to some info on Tibet. Was that all connected?

There was no time to quibble over details. He closed the safe as silently as possible and then the painting. He snuck to the door and closed it, worrying that this was too easy. But, his father would never suspect such behavior from him in a million years. He paused at the main entrance area and looked up into the area where his father's room was. How could he be Butterfly?

Shaking his head and berating himself that this wasn't the time for such a debate, he hurried up the stairs and to the doorway to his room. He paused in the just before it and inched it open just a bit. "Ladybug? It's me." He whispered. A second later, a bright flash of light shot into his field of vision and he worried it would illuminate too much of the main hall. He pulled the door shut until it disappeared.

Red and black fingers snuck around the wood not even a minute later and pulled the door open. "Thanks for waiting." She murmured, letting him by. She used the dull lighting of his room to look him over, checking for anything out of the ordinary. "Is that it?" She pulled it from his fingers before he could show her first. She held it up to the light, feeling power of a different sort radiate from it. Something called to her from inside, but the voice was quiet and hard to distinguish. Because this kwami was still sleeping? "Yea...this is it." She muttered, mostly to herself. She was suddenly depositing it back in his hands. "We have to hide it in case things go wrong." She hurried farther into his room, knowing he'd follow. "Where's the best place that we can put that so your father can't find it anytime soon?"

He stopped and looked around, thinking of every possible hiding spot which wasn't already full of stuff. If his father came in and decided to turn his room upside-down, where could they keep this so it would miss a few passings? His lips twitched from an idea and he hurried upstairs to his book shelf. "Grab me some tape before you come up here." He quietly called down. He turned to the shelf and started thumbing through authors. "Where are you..."

She jumped up and handed it over when he gave a muted noise of triumph and pulled it from the mass amount of other books. "Why that book?"

He taped the stone to the inside of the front cover before closing it and showing her the title. "Romeo and Juliet." He couldn't help his smile. "I think that way it's easier for me to remember where it is if my head isn't in the game later."

She looked put out and turned away, but her face was bright red. She listened as he slid the book back and made sure it didn't look like it had been pulled out of the wall anytime soon. She heaved a sigh, trying to keep the adrenaline down at the last step they were finally at. She looked to the bottom section of his room, eyes hardening. "Let's do this." She muttered.

He was about to move for the stairs when she wrapped an arm around his torso and was sliding them down the skateboard ramp around his door. He blushed and just as he got to enjoy her touching him, she was letting him go. He couldn't help but sidle closer to her before she got too far. "Can we do that again?"

She suddenly whipped to him, finger poking his chest. "You're NOT Chat Noir right now!" She hissed, eyes narrowing and trying not to use her miraculous strength as she kept poking him. "You're Adrien and you don't act like Chat if you're not going to transform! I don't want to worry about this more than I already am. Plagg needs to stay on high alert should something happen." She looked to the room. "Plagg, I need you to remain near the window in case things get bad and we have to escape. I can't have you anywhere near this place after this starts. I don't like this one bit!"

"Yea, yea. I get you."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay Ladybug." He tried to reassure.

She actually glared at him and looked truly angry at him for the first time since her arrival. "We're going into the lair of Butterfly." She grit out. "And you're not taking your kwami. You have no idea how much that is stressing me out right now!" Without another word, she looked down and wrapped her fingers through his. "You know this place better than I do, so I need you to lead me until we get to where he may be hiding and then you stay behind me! Don't try to play the hero, understand?"

Her fingers were around his! His heart suddenly started racing more from that than the sensation of going into battle. He was suddenly aware of how small her fingers were. He gave her hand a squeeze, feeling them slip into their old routine before any of this had occurred. "Understood, my lady. Come with me and step lightly."

She gave the back of his gorgeous hair a dry look and clutched her yo-yo. They stopped at the top of the stairs in the main hall. "Where is a good place to start? Are there any rooms that you've never been to?" She breathed near his ear and anxiously trying to see in the dark.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he lost his cool for a second. His heart flip-flopped and a huge flush overtook his face, but he was thankful she couldn't see it because she'd call this a wash at his attitude...not like it wasn't usually like this in the middle of battle anyway. But, this wasn't any weak villain they were fighting against; this was Butterfly.

He mentally shook himself of her presence so close to him and thought of all the rooms in the house he wasn't aware of. There was so much in his own home that he hadn't seen yet and he wondered just where they could start that would be easiest to rule out. "Let's start upstairs." He whispered back. He bypassed his father's room just for now, knowing that was suspicious area number one. They started farthest away from there and worked their way back. He kept trying to figure out how Butterfly knew the emotions of others and sent his akumas out to find someone. He would need a room with a window to let his magic out.

The paranoia and drama of finding Butterfly in one of the rooms was starting to diminish after they got into the third one empty-handed. How big was this place?! She almost wondered if he was even here and worried she was wrong in assuming anything from Master Fu's words. She suddenly realized that if Adrien abruptly showed up as Chat with her it may just give away everything and she was now thankful for this change. If Adrien showed up with her, she could make it look like she was the only one who found his identity and came without Chat.

They tiptoed into a pitch black room and he was suddenly wishing he had Plagg's night vision to check for anything dangerous. It was really dark in here! He had no idea what this room was and didn't even know it existed.

"Hello Ladybug..."

The pair jumped and she gripped her yo-yo with a surge of adrenaline. The smug, almost knowing lilt of that voice... No doubt, they had found the place.

"I thought I sensed you nearby. Nice of you to drop in...but for what I wonder. Here to finally give up your miraculous stones? So kind of you to come to me this time."

She stepped to the voice and arched her hand so Adrien was behind her. She didn't let go though since she still couldn't see anything. "Butterfly..." She almost hissed. Her eyes narrowed, senses on high alert. "I'm here to put an end to all of this!"

"And who would you have with you I wonder? A little pawn in the game?"

He took a step around her, every nerve on high alert and his heart beating like a runaway train. The voice was his, but it wasn't. A sense of despair still filled him. "F – father? Is that you?"

"Ah, Adrien...my son..."

His heart stopped at those words. He was vaguely aware of Ladybug's grip tightening in his as if to give support before she was yanking him behind her again. His eyes widened, feeling a thread of anguish run through him. "No...no! Why? Why you? You can't be evil! I know you're not! You haven't been the same since mother disappeared, but this isn't you!"

A window suddenly opened and illuminated the room enough to see all of their silhouettes. Dozens of glowing butterflies abruptly took to the air and fluttered around their master. The dull gleam of Butterfly's head covering showed he was already transformed. Had he been waiting for them? He didn't seem perturbed in the slightest that they had finally found him.

He was vaguely aware that he was shaking his head as if to negate the scene. "No..." He breathed, eyes wide.

"Are you still clinging to that ridiculous story?"

He blinked, brows going up. His mouth opened, but no words came out. His hand slackened around Ladybug's and he was vaguely aware that he was trembling. His mind's eye saw Ladybug crying at his mother's picture and his father's...Butterfly's words...only created a sense of foreboding that he wasn't sure he wanted to hear in this second.

"Would you like to hear what actually happened?"

"We're not going to spend time chatting!" She abruptly butt in. A sense of dread raced through her. She was right in keeping her mouth shut! She wanted to look back to Adrien, but didn't want to take her eyes off his father. She had to keep focused if she wanted to end this quickly!

"She never disappeared. It's because of me that she -"

Her yo-yo lashed out with a battle cry and his walking stick suddenly came up to entangle her attack. He remained still for a moment and gave a noise of amusement as if she could harm him. She grit her teeth as he pulled on it and she quickly adjusted her stance to keep from being pulled to him. Her other hand tightly gripped Adrien's lax one. "No! Don't listen to him. I was wrong! You shouldn't -"

"She's dead."

The words echoed in his head. His legs finally gave out as the truth knocked his strength from under him. He collapsed to the ground below, his hand ripping from hers, staring idly at the fluttering army around Butterfly. Any previous hope he had of someday being reunited with his mother crumbled to pieces and left an enormous hollowness in his chest. He suddenly looked to Ladybug and found her eyes darting to him. "Is that what you meant when you said you didn't want me to know? Because you already knew what happened to her before I did?"

She whipped to him, unable to let him go without any comfort any longer. "I didn't know that exactly, but I guessed it. I wanted to spare you the pain!"

He wanted to feel grateful to her, but it was still of dire importance that he know. All the hope and yearning crashed over him and splintered in his heart, mocking him. He felt his eyes tear and the tracks quickly start on his face, but he ignored them and glared across the way. "Why would you hide something like that from me?! Why couldn't you tell me the truth?" He stood on shaky legs and stepped around her when her hands made an attempt to go to him.

"How could I tell you that your mother had received a miraculous and died protecting me because of it?"

Her teeth grit. She ignored Adrien's gaze going back and forth between her and Butterfly, as if asking for the real truth...or finally knowing it was verified by Butterfly through her. "And just why do you want mine and Chat Noir miraculous stones for? What do you intend on doing with them?"

"I'll use them to bring her back so we can all be together again."

The breath left his body in a shaky whoosh. Such a thing was possible?! The hand with his ring clenched and the cold metal was suddenly very apparent on his skin. He looked to the ground below, feeling so conflicted. He looked to Ladybug again, eying her. He would give anything to have his mother back again...but to take her miraculous just because of it... No! That was unthinkable!

"Ah...that's the emotion I was waiting for... Since you're here, you may as well help out your precious father."

She retracted her yo-yo when Butterfly finally moved. She watched his free hand come out, palm open. Her eyes widened as a butterfly landed on it and his other hand covered it. In seconds, it was filled with negative energy and released.

Flying straight for Adrien.

She grabbed his shirt and yanked him behind her, ignoring his surprised cry and thud when he landed on the ground. "Don't you dare use him for your own gains...I won't let you! Nothing good is going to come from it!" She kept her eyes on the butterfly as it neared and swung her yo-yo around. In seconds, she had it trapped and let its purified form go before tensing again.

"You think that just one purification can save you here? You're amongst all of the Butterflies at my disposal. You'll never be able to save my son from helping his father finally best you."

The only extraneous thing on Adrien was his miraculous ring and if such a thing were turned evil, she would end up having to fight him and she didn't know how she'd break it without turning him back to Adrien. It would show his father that he was Chat Noir and Adrien could be turned again, thus giving up his ring without a second thought. She couldn't let that happen! She was too ill-prepared for this and so many consequences were popping up which she had no way to avoid.

Perhaps this was why Butterfly was here waiting for them. This was his place and he was the one with the upper hand. They had walked into the den of the spider as a pair of innocent flies and were ensnared. He was right; with the dozens of pure butterflies for him to turn evil, he could release them as fast as he could make them...faster than she could purify them. Adrien was in serious danger here!

She gave a spare second to check Adrien and her heart clenched at how his shoulders were slumped, his face showed his emptiness, and he made no move to get away from his father's power. She was right to be worried for him and a sense of alarm went off that he had no will to fight, even as Adrien. He was going to let himself be turned evil without a care in his turmoil. Butterfly may have played his emotions to his whims, but she was at fault for ever letting Adrien come with her! She knew almost everything that had happened...had speculated correctly, and she had almost forced him to know the truth when he should never have heard it!

In one fluid movement, she returned the yo-yo around her hip and and kneeled in front of him. Her arms went around his chest and pulled him to her as she hurried to her feet. She ignored his surprised cry and tried to look over her shoulder around him. "Don't think this is over Butterfly! I'll never let you use your own son for your evil schemes! No matter what the end behind them is!"

Without letting Adrien hear anymore of his father's painful words, she crashed out of the door they entered and took off down the hall. She could hear his mocking words and laughter following her as she ran at top speed for the main hall, but ignored them all. He didn't follow her, which had her more than suspicious. She kept checking to see if he had any other butterflies chasing her, but there were no dark glows in the area. She didn't get it! His one chance to really destroy her and he let her just leave...even though she knew who he was and exactly where he was hiding! Adrien had come with her; that alone should have made him try something! She was pretty much kidnapping his son!

She jumped to the ground level of the main entrance and burst out the front doors, hoping it was too dark for the camera system to pick up her movements. She swung around to his room in the back and saw it dark. "We're leaving!" She yelled to the open window, knowing Plagg would be standing by. In a second, he flew from the window and caught up with her.

"Looks like things went badly. What a shock."

She glared at the route for the kwami's lack of tact to the situation, never taking her eyes off their escape until she felt she was far enough away to let go of Adrien...who was suspiciously quiet and merely holding onto her tightly with no wisecracks. Her brow furrowed upward, heart clenching as she worried for his sanity in this moment. She wanted to do more to help comfort him than just get them to safety, but that had to come later. She would never forgive herself if he became evil due to her fumbling!

When she was a few blocks away, she stopped on a rooftop and quickly released him. She let go to scan the surrounding area the second he was steady on the building and had her yo-yo ready for anything. She whirled around them, on high alert for him.

"I don't think my father plans on continuing this now..."

She jumped at the light hand on her shoulder, she turned concerned eyes to his disheartening words. She studied his face and her heart broke at finding how utterly downcast he looked. Her mouth opened to give him any sense of comfort that she could find, but nothing would come out. She knew what had happened and she still brought him with her. Had she been smarter, she should have never let him come with...as Chat Noir or Adrien. She looked away, hating herself for letting things get like this. "I'm...I'm sorry..." She muttered, eyes closing in shame.

"Why? None of that was your fault."

Her head rapidly shook, refusing to look at him when his other hand rested on her free shoulder. "I knew! I knew everything and I still took you with me! I should have gone by myself to fight him so you would have never learned what you did!" Her eyes teared and she squeezed her lids tighter to keep them from falling. "It's all my fault that you feel like this now!"

He sighed, but lightly cupped her cheeks. That sudden, brash movement got what he wanted: her eyes finally opened and looked at him. She was stunned, but there was pain in those gorgeous irises. She was beating herself up for his sake and while he felt happy that she was so concerned, he refused to let her berate herself for something out of her control. He gave her a soft, sad smile. "You didn't change my father, these circumstances did. We met because of what he did, of what he wants. We need to find a way to get to him and take his miraculous so he sees that this isn't the way to anything. You and me. We're a team, remember?"

Her jaw clenched under his hold. Her eyes swam at how perfect he was. He didn't find fault in his father or her and he was even trying to cheer her up through his own pain! Her heart loved him even more and she wanted nothing more than to embrace him. Her arms twitched to give in to the urge, but she knew if she did she would lose all sense of reason when they needed much more help. She forced her emotions aside and gave him a small nod, eyes hardening.

"I know of someone who can help us and a place where we'll be safe. Grab a hold of me and let's go."


	7. Professing my Love

Minutes later, they were standing in front of a wooden door. She knocked quietly, though there was no noise from inside. Her hand grasped the knob and slowly opened it. "Master Fu? We're here." He watched her push the door in, still in costume, and walk in. His alarm spiked that she wasn't acting with her usual sense of secrecy, but had to remember just who they were here to see. His eyes widened when he saw an elderly Asian man sitting by himself next to a low-set table...two extra teacups sitting ready for use aside the one he was currently sipping.

He had seen this person before!

He watched her promptly stride to the table and sit next to him, though he didn't hear anything they were saying. His mind raced, thinking back to the day he had tried to go to school by himself and Natalie had stopped him. He gave this old man his walking stick back after he had fallen, but was forced to go back home. That same afternoon, he found his ring in front of his tv.

"Come Chat Noir. Close the door and join us for some tea."

He jolted, but she looked at him and nodded, and he forced himself to relax. He quietly clicked the door shut and took his shoes off before joining them both. "Sorry that we're here so late." He quietly apologized.

Master Fu looked to him silently for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh. "It is I who should apologize my dear boy..."

He stared at the elderly man with wide eyes, so many clues suddenly coming to form the worst puzzle of his life.

" _Is that what you meant when you said you didn't want me to know? Because you already knew what happened to her before I did?"_

–

" _How could I tell you that your mother had received a miraculous stone and died protecting me because of it?"_

–

" _I couldn't see it myself, but Master Fu told me things...things that...I – I didn't...want you to hear...but...if we're going to stop him...you have to know..."_

He slowly looked to her and she quietly nodded. She looked forlorn and stared at her teacup as if pointedly keeping him from seeing anything else that she was feeling. He looked back to find Master Fu watching him. "It's you... You're Master Fu...the guardian of the stones?" Hands rested on the short table as he leaned over them. "You...you gave my mother the peacock miraculous? How? When?"

Master Fu's hand came up and stroked his beard. "Yes. Your personality is so much like hers my boy."

She discretely watched Adrien's face as the truth was finally unfolded to him, in much better company this time. She wanted to reach a hand out and hold his as he listened, to let him know she was here, but restrained herself. She tried not to blame herself for his past coming to haunt him, but it was hard. The sadness and tears that she saw ate at her resolve not to hate herself for bringing him here. She should have just come alone and made sure he was safe! She didn't want him to hear this...but, she told herself, how often had the truth been kept from him? She was now helping him to achieve it and she should hold onto that thought over all.

There was a sense of nothing aside all the sorrow...like a still, black pit that he was standing in with no noise and no feeling. Everything was laid out and it all made sense now. His father's behavior over the years and how he tried to keep him in the house. He looked to the table, eyes darting around it as if to find answers as his mind whirled at impossible speeds.

" _I already told you it's out of the question that you go to middle school. You have everything you need in this house. I forbid you from going; the outside is way too dangerous."_

" _Why do you want to shut me off in a cocoon? I'm always alone! Why can't I have friends like everyone else?"_

" _Because you're not like everyone else. You're my son, Adrien."_

The son of Butterfly who wanted absolute power to make them a family again and wasn't above destroying Paris to do so. The intent was honorable, but the methods were still evil. The son of Peacock who had somehow been killed when saving his father. He wanted to ask more about that circumstance, but due to his father trying to turn him evil and using him to beat Ladybug, it was better that they retreated. He would never forgive himself for fighting her...even if it was against his will. The times he already did he always regretted.

He suddenly looked to her to find her concerned eyes trained on him. She blinked when their eyes met, but gave him something of a small smile as if to tell him she was there. He studied her face; the face of his savior, of his partner. She had tried to do so much to help him, as always, and he felt like she was saving him yet again. His emotions rose with a vengeance, trying to grasp hold of the one solid thing in his life who had always been there for him. He wanted to touch her, to hold her, and feel that she was still solid amidst the chaos of his mind and his feelings.

She knew that look in his eyes and subtly leaned back on her heels in silent negation to his wish. She couldn't help the chagrin from entering her features, seeing his dejected eyes in return.

He suddenly turned to Master Fu, eyes hardening, though pained. His adrenaline rose a degree. He knew things would become complicated if he did this, but he couldn't stop himself any longer. "You told her that I was Chat Noir."

"Yes."

"Why? I thought our identities were supposed to be kept a secret."

"In order to give her the information on your family, she had to know who you were. Also, I trusted Ladybug with your real self because I knew she wouldn't betray you. I knew she would keep Chat Noir safe. "

His eyes darted to hers, harsh and unforgiving. "And yet you still won't tell me who you are?!"

She felt a thread of indignation at that, but he was too openly hurt and she squashed the original words ready to be formed. She looked to the table, face pensive. "Our identities...are our own..." She fumbled, feeling lame for still saying such things in such a place with Adrien present, especially after knowing everything.

Anger came to him and he didn't fight it. A hand hit the table in his frustration and he glared at her. This was probably the one time he would ever be so genuinely upset with her. It had been a long night and she just broke the last straw to his sanity. "We're sitting at the table of the guardian to the miraculous stones! I'm not sitting here as Chat Noir; I'm sitting here as Adrien Agreste! He told you everything. You know everything! What is the point in pretending anymore? Why are you still being like this? Haven't I told you many times that I'll never tell anyone? All I want is for you to truly trust me in this! I swear this to you! What can I do to make you believe in me?!"

She felt so horrible. She wanted to cry at the pain and pleading in his voice. She knew he was all turned around from battle and the truth, and she didn't fault him for his actions. She knew why she was still so hesitant and ever since the initial moment in his room, she was even more scared that he didn't love the real her...that he would never love Marinette over Ladybug.

She looked away, fists clenching. She ignored him and turned inward, warring with herself for so many seconds until a soft hand touched an arm. She jolted to the owner, finding Master Fu's kind eyes on her. "Ladybug, remember my earlier words. Chat Noir is right. However, only you can be the one to let him in. This is a sense of trust which you will never know again in your life. Your other half sits in front of you. You can't deny it for much longer..."

He saw how she was practically shaking at Fu's words and his harsh gaze softened a little. She met his eyes and he was somewhat shocked to see longing and pain there. He didn't know why she should feel so when there was only hope to get from this. His hand reached out before he could stop himself and lightly touched hers in an instinctual move to give comfort. She didn't move, but didn't pull away.

Her eyes darted to his hand lightly encompassing hers. Teeth harshly bit her lip as she weighed everything.

" _You ARE Ladybug, even when the mask is gone. You already have those traits within you, but they don't always shine like they do when Ladybug is required to help. You have been Marinette while you were Ladybug when you were with Adrien..."_

–

" _Would you love Adrien if he was Chat Noir? If he came to you and told you who he really was...knowing how you feel about him...would it still matter who he was with or without the mask?"_

Tikki was right as she always was, but her emotions were also very powerful. They had claimed her ability to do anything for the last few days now and nothing had ever been resolved. She didn't want to jump into that unknown pit only to find no sun in that darkness. Adrien gave her hand a gentle, insistent squeeze and she harshly swallowed. He was still asking, pleading, begging for her to trust him with this knowledge. She met his eyes, piercing him with all of the uncertainty and fear inside her.

It was now or never. If she left, she would only hurt him and she didn't want to keep doing so. So many people had already done so and she didn't want to add herself to that list. She gave a shaky exhale and squeezed her eyes shut, shoulders bunched to her ears. A second later, she was encompassed in a blinding flash of light as she turned herself back to Marinette.

Seeing the beginning of her transformation filled him with a sense of elation which he had never known before. He was finally going to see the real face of his true love! The second the mask was gone and Marinette's diverted face was presented to him, he stilled and blinked. His heart raced, but his blood froze in his veins. Her eyes were remained screwed shut and she refused to look at him. The fingers he could now feel were still shaking under his hold, her shoulders trembling horribly. He took in her closed gaze, inching backward at a snail's pace. His was vaguely aware of his own eyes widening till they nearly pained him. Something hit him so heavily that it stole the ability to think of anything else.

" _Dude! I need to tell you...I can't keep it a secret anymore!"_

" _Calm down. What are you talking about Nino?"_

" _There's a girl in our class who has a serious crush on you! Like, totally head-over-heels! I just found out recently and I can't hide it from you any longer. I even told her I'd put in a good word for her too."_

" _What are you talking about?! Who?"_

" _Uh...that's the problem. I've been sworn to secrecy on the name..."_

–

" _Wait! Someone answered my poem! But, I threw it away..."_

" _Ugh, a thing this soppy, it can only have been written by your soul mate."_

–

" _Don't go yet! At least tell me before you go...why Adrien? Why is HE your weakness? He's just some random guy, isn't he? You've just saved him before; that doesn't mean anything right?"_

–

" _Doesn't matter who's under that mask but, I love her, this girl..."_

He jolted to his feet and looked down at her, feeling somewhat out of control. So many memories and clues were going through his head and turning him upside-down. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest and his adrenaline was never this high through any battle he had ever fought. Her eyes jolted opened and looked up to him in fear and utter expectation. He took in the constant timidness that he had always known shine from her eyes, but it was tinged with longing and love. She wrung her hands as she silently looked at him, teeth biting her lip.

" _What is the matter with you?! I know it's Adrien, but pull yourself together! What happened to you in the last two days?"_

" _I...I...haven't...been feeling...well..."_

She had known who he was the last few days and she had been scared to tell him, to show herself. She loved him back that heavily and she was looking for his immediate acceptance, but he was too stunned right now to speak. The girl he had been sitting in front of since the start of the school year was Ladybug...the one he loved so much. She had always been so close to him. And she loved him back.

This was almost too good to be true!

The pressure to speak words felt too great and all he could think of was a place to calm down for a second. He didn't want to say or do anything wrong while he felt so turned around about the last few hours. He needed more than a second to collect himself! The instance with his father was still too new and Master Fu's words too horrible. He fumbled a step back before hurrying from the room and letting the door close behind him.

His exit only made her soul rip to pieces. Tears fell and she barely heard the comforting, encouraging words of Tikki nearby. Her hands clenched as she bowed her head.

"Chat Noir has always had trouble with Ladybug. Chaos often goes hand in hand with destruction. He just needs a little time to sort things out. He'll be fine, I assure you."

That wouldn't do. She looked to Master Fu with hard, teary eyes. "That may be the past Chat Noirs, but not this one. I can't let him deal with this by himself! Not like how I've tried and failed."

"Have faith in Chat Noir's love Marinette." Tikki coached. "Believe in him. You know how to be there for him...you know what it's like."

She nodded and stood. She stopped at the door only briefly, wondering just what she would say, before opening it and heading out into the hallway. It was a short find. Adrien hadn't even gone more than a few feet away. She stopped past the door and let it close behind her. She took a few slow steps to him, mind churning. He was hunched over, arms wrapped around his legs, head on his knees. He was silent and still. A trembling hand reached out to him in the quiet, but she wondered just how to begin.

"Now I understand why you tried to leave like you did. I apologize for acting the way I have."

She jolted and remembered he was referring to her entrance into his room and the near, immediate exit afterward. He suddenly looked up and presented her with a calm face. There were no tears, no pain, no negativity. She quickly kneeled in front of him and sat on her legs. She looked to the useless hands in her lap, brow furrowing. "I...I didn't...know...what to do...if...I – I -"

His hand rested over hers and cut off her fumbling. Sweet, shy, kind, talented Marinette. She had always been a good friend. The words of the unsigned poem he had received in response to his, a poem he had thrown away at school...in his classroom...ran through his head. His gaze softened, heart swelling beyond anything he could have ever hoped to happen should this moment ever occur.

He turned to face her and cupped her face with his hands, eyes darting around every feature. She looked at him with all the sweetness of her emotions, the conviction of her need to help, and he stared for the longest time. She was staring at him as if he were injured in a way that was so Ladybug. Did she even know she was giving him a look that showed her alter ego minus the mask? Did she even feel the strength she was radiating out to him through her own insecurities? "Ladybug..."

That poorly chosen word cracked her heart into tiny pieces. Every possible hope was ripped from her as her lip trembled before she could control herself. Tears poured from her eyes. She tried to remember Tikki's hopeful words of her loving Adrien as Chat and visa versa, but all she felt was sorrow. He loved Ladybug...she knew it. She pulled away and looked down, her vision swimming like a tormented ocean. "I...I'm sorry...that I'm not...Ladybug..." She brokenly managed, hands clenched in her lap.

She made a motion to stand, to leave him yet again, but his arms swiftly wrapped around her torso and pulled her to him, to keep her from leaving. A hand went to the back of her head, feeling the softness of her hair. The other clutched at her jacket tightly. He felt her tremble in his hold, heard her sobs as she clutched at the back of his shirt. "You ARE Ladybug." He harshly whispered, holding her tightly. She never said a word and grasped him just as strongly. He suddenly berated himself for his poor start. This what she was afraid of, he suddenly saw. This was what that distraught Marinette was worrying about when he visited her yesterday. "You are also Marinette. Sweet, kind, talented Marinette. My love for you would be no less no matter who you are."

His words vibrated in her ears and the clouds rolled away. It was a much needed salve to the fear which had been encompassing her for so long. Her eyes widened as his words sunk in before she buried her head in his shoulder and cried her relief, feeling his hand gently stroke the back of her head. She was unable to manage words and thus felt him. He said nothing either and merely clutched at her.

He finally pulled her away when she seemed to calm down and reveled in the sweet look she was giving him through her tears. His palms cupped her cheeks with a soft smile, thumbs wiping at the tracks. "Heartbreaker interrupted us so many times before Marinette. I want to finish what I desperately wanted to say that day." He noticed the same Ladybug-like look on Marinette's face like that day he first tried. Never had she been more beautiful than this moment and his face drew a little closer on instinct. "Marinette, Ladybug...whichever you are...I love you."

She pressed her lips against his before she knew what she was doing. The person she was so in love with, felt so much for, loved her back. Her. Clumsy, nobody Marinette. He called her talented, he called her kind. Those words would forever mean so much to her.

He was shocked only for a split second and then his feelings directed him. He pressed against the back of her head, pushing her closer...closer. She went willingly, gave him everything. The barest sound of a whimper escaped into his mouth and his arms went around her more. Never had anything been more perfect and felt more right.

" _Ladybug and Chat Noir are a team. Two halves of one whole. Creation and destruction. You must place a great sense of trust and faith in the other. I confirmed this from you both that day in the rain when I saw your actions toward each other."_

This is what being whole felt like. This is what really trusting, really loving, someone felt like. All unease melted away as he destroyed it. He evaporated every bad thing as if it never existed in the first place. All she could know was the presence he so powerfully carved in her heart and the feel of his touch against her.

They finally pulled away and looked to each other's eyes mere inches away. She was the first to give a self-conscious giggle and he smiled at her. His fingers wiped her face dry, mouth kissing where her sadness had been. Her heart beat faster at his gesture, at his love. "The rain..." She suddenly murmured, eyes fluttering open to look at him.

A brow went up. "Rain?"

Her gaze softened. "That first day of school in the rain..."

"What about it?"

"That's how long I've loved you."

To hear the depth and feeling of her emotions returned to him created a new sense of solidity, of joy. He thought he had never been happier to merely know who Ladybug was so he could put a face to the one he loved. He thought it would have been enough to finally say the words to her and let her know how he finally felt...how much he had been keeping inside this whole time. To know that she had been in love with him that long, to personally hear it from her, made tears come to his eyes through a blinding smile.

She turned red and averted her eyes, but never moved away enough to break the hold of his hands on her face. "I...could never tell you... I'm...it's...just me..."

He gently kissed her again before any other such words could come from her. He tried to steal all of them in order to destroy them. He released her and put his forehead against hers. "Yes, you're you. And that's why you're so perfect. That's why I love you so much."

She wanted to scream in the ecstasy that was taking hold of her. She wanted to run to the rooftops as Ladybug and shout her love for Adrien to all of Paris. Never had she dreamed that such a moment would ever occur. She had always resorted to loving him in the shadows. She was forced to be content with a few fumbling exchanges and to sit behind him in class only to stare at the back of his head. She suddenly started laughing at how foolish she had been in her room, at how she avoided him for so many days because she was afraid of his reaction which never existed in the first place.

He pulled away and looked at her confused. "What's so funny?" His lips twitched at hearing such a beautiful noise.

A hand went to her face as she finally pulled away. Her head shook. "I'm such an idiot..." She managed, shifting to lean against the wall.

He copied her and leaned his shoulder against hers. His arms loosely went around his legs, feeling much less overwhelmed than the last time he performed such an action. "How so? I'm not seeing it."

She almost couldn't look at him in her embarrassment! Both hands covered her eyes, though her smile refused to go away. "After I found out who you were, after I found out how you felt about me, I actually hid away for two days in my room out of fear! I couldn't go to school in case you were there because I knew I'd give myself away. I prayed that Paris didn't get attacked because I was too scared to fight with you as Ladybug. I knew I'd say or do something stupid." She snorted in amusement at the imaginary scenarios she had previously created. "God, I'm so dumb..."

He quickly pulled her hands away from her face and looked at her reproachfully. "You're not dumb!" He harshly insisted, squeezing her wrists and bypassing her shock. "You're amazing! You're smart and clever and pretty and selfless and talented and strong and fearless and kind and...and..." He blinked. "I'm running out of witty repartee at the moment, but give me a second and I'll find more words to try and properly describe how awesome you are."

Her blush went to her ears and down to her neck. She bit her lip to try and hide part of the blinding smile that encompassed her face. Her shoulders scrunched up to her ears as she started giggling like an idiot. Her heart raced and she tried to engrave this moment for all time.

His smile widened at her reaction. She looked so demure, so shy at such praise when she was worthy of that and more. The things he had seen her do as both Marinette and Ladybug would have him awed till the end of his days. He turned a hand to kiss the back of her knuckles. "If you don't believe me, I'll just have to keep telling you just how amazing you are until the end of my days...my lady..."

She squealed a little before clamping her free hand over her mouth. She watched him chuckle at her with wide, slightly mortified eyes. His other hand gently took the one from her mouth and kissed it as well. "I – I – I...never noticed...how much of a Catanova...you try to be..." She lamely kidded, face as hot as the sun.

His eyes narrowed playfully, Chat-like grin forming. "I'm always romantic for you, my lady. Haven't you been paying attention?"

Her look matched his. She felt more like Ladybug to his Chat Noir right now and it was kind of nice in its normalcy. "I pay attention to everything. Especially the advances of a handsome flirt who pretends to be shy when he's not wearing a mask."

He scoffed, faking being hurt. "Pretending? This handsome flirt is always shy around his lady love."

Her smile widened as his lips descended upon her trembling knuckles again. "Right..."

"Ugh...finish up already so we can come up with some kind of a battle plan!"

The pair jolted and turned to the doorway, finding Tikki and Plagg hovering next to the still-closed door. He sighed, but released her petite fingers from his. "You just had to ruin the moment I finally got to enjoy Plagg!" He complained, looking excessively put out.

"Oh please. You were almost at the end and you know it."

She watched Plagg fly near Adrien before the minute touch of Tikki at her cheek. "What did I tell you Marinette?"

She smiled and hugged her kwami. "You were right Tikki."

"Right about what?"

She looked his way sheepishly. "Tikki told me to have faith in you...and what you felt for me as Ladybug."

He merely smiled and looked to her kwami before returning his soft gaze to hers. "I never doubted you for a second, Marinette. I'm glad you finally trusted me enough to tell me...and to let me show you how I feel about you."

She beamed and they stood before heading back to the room.


	8. A Night with You

Information had been exchanged, ideas shared. She had a private talk with Master Fu before they headed out...just in case things resorted to a scenario that she was considering. She kept it hidden from Adrien because she didn't know if such a thing would ever come to pass or not. The pair bid the elderly man a late evening and transformed for easier ability to get around.

They stood atop some random building amidst the glare of the lights below. He couldn't stop staring at her and the power she created anytime she was Ladybug. He was weak in the knees as he watched her hair shine from the many streetlights of Paris while she looked around, clearly in thought. Before he could control himself, his arms reached out and went around her waist from behind. All he could know, all he could think of, was that her feelings for him were as his feelings for her and that alone eradicated the instance at his home like it never existed.

She squeaked in surprise and flailed a little as she was momentarily off-balanced. A profuse blush went to her ears as his strong chest pressed against her back, arms around her ribcage. Her hands shook as he stood there holding her tightly, a slight sigh escaping him and blowing the hair at her ears. "Ch – Ch – Chat!" She stammered, unable to get herself to move.

"Yes my lady?"

She gave the view a semi-annoyed look. He was so in control and it made her want to be upset with him, but his arms were so strong... She indulged him just a little longer before gently taking his hands from her and turning to face him. "Okay, you've had your fun. We need to think here."

He gave the biggest, cat-like grin he could ever imagine at her words. "Oh, I've just begun to have my fun." A hand came up and a finger tilted her chin up toward his face a little. His eyes playfully narrowed a little at her slight irritation. "I've waited for this day for so long...you have no idea how frustrating it's been for me..."

His eyes were glowing in the dark. It made Chat a little more alive than Adrien. Her hands trembled as his head lowered a little. She wanted to push him away and force him to think as she had done dozens of times before, but the breath fanning her face only made her chin arch up a little more. She tried to keep her breathing steady to keep him from knowing exactly what he was doing to her. Knowing precisely who he was and that he loved HER only made her want to give into him...just a little...

He brushed his lips against hers in the lightest of kisses and slowly moved them over hers. He heard her sudden, shaky exhale and it only made him want to press forward. His claws lightly traced across the back of her neck and a finger flicked one of her ponytails. "Maybe one day you'll take your hair down for me..." He murmured against her skin.

Was he talking? She was electrified the second his mouth touched hers and the way he was barely doing anything made her suddenly frustrated, but she refused to give in to his playfulness. Her eyes fluttered open, finding him looking at her with smug, green eyes...lips still barely touching hers as if testing to see what she'd do. She scowled at that and stood away with more force, face impossibly red. "Okay..." She grumbled, crossing her arms. She wanted to stomp her foot, but resisted the urge. "NOW you've had your fun for a while."

The grin that split his face said otherwise. He easily clasped both hands behind his head, still standing a foot away. This was bad; he really wanted to keep watching her reactions to his adorations of her. They were addictive and he almost couldn't help himself. "Okay, okay. I'll behave..." His eyes glinted, "for now."

She reached out and slapped his chest, knowing she wouldn't hurt him. "Focus! Back to the main plan here." She looked to the general area of their houses. "It's past midnight and we both have school in the morning. You can't go back home and I won't have you sleeping on the streets." Her face burned as she tightened the hold on her arms in her discomfort and turned away. "We'll just...s – sneak into my room and...a – and have you...stay there for now. It's safer."

Justifying the situation for his own personal safety against his father did nothing to keep his palms suddenly from shaking. His mouth gaped open a little in attempt to tell her he'd be fine, but the words wouldn't form. She still faced away from him and he knew she was blushing from that fact alone.

"Plus, we now know that your father isn't above using you to get to me and I think he's been aware of that since we found him. He may have been for a while now. Your house is no longer safe and it's best if he doesn't know where you are for the day."

"Am I supposed to skip school, too? He may come looking for me if I go..." He asked, brow raising. "As sad as it is for me to admit this, I'll have to go into battle with you as Chat in order to beat him." A hand harshly ran through his hair and he tried not to scratch his ears with his claws. "I wish there was some other way, but I see now that such a thing is inevitable. He doesn't see me in any kind favor as his son anymore..."

She finally turned and put a hand on his shoulder, sadness in her face. "I know this is hard for you. I still want nothing more than for you to have never known such things about your family, but that is the way it's always been in your life. I didn't want to be another person to keep you from the truth."

He smiled gently at her and slowly wound his arms around her. She went willingly and he hugged her with a quiet sigh. "I understand. I thank you for thinking of me that way. I guess...I guess I wish that I still didn't know about my mom's...about what happened, but at least I know now. Now I know it's no use to hope to see her again."

Her heart wanted to break for him at the desolate resolution in his voice. She quickly pulled back and cupped his face with her hands, eyes flashing. "There's always hope for everything!" She retorted, eyes suddenly swimming as she tried to keep her voice from cracking. "I can't begin to know what you feel right now because I have both my parents and we all love each other very much. I did try to place myself in your shoes and feel how your life would have been if it was me." Her jaw clenched at those hours she had spent feeling like she was in his life. "It made me very sad. All the more reason why I wanted to protect you. You've been through so much and I want to help you in any way I can."

He gave her a somewhat sad smile. "I'd love nothing more than to see my mother and hug her again, but I suppose I'll settle for you." He pulled her to him tightly before she could say anything. She gave him a quick squeeze and was silent from his horrible joke. He looked to the rooftop, mind jumbled. "I guess...I don't even know how that would work anyway... How do you bring back the dead?"

Her lips pressed together. It was on the tip of her tongue to say that she had something of an idea, but she remained silent. Not until that moment occurred, she mentally chanted. She wasn't going to get his hopes up...nor his indignation if she tried such a thing. She wanted to hope he would be happy, but he may very well get angry with her if he knew what she did.

He pulled away and forced a smile and looked around. "Care for a quick swing around the neighborhood before we retire?"

How could she tell him no? She smiled and went for her yo-yo. "I'll beat you to my roof." She said before slinging her yo-yo and taking off without waiting for him to get ready.

The playful look in her eyes had him frozen for only a second. "Hey! No fair! You know I can't resist your smile!" He took off, hot on her trail. He heard the trails of her laughter on the wind as he reached an arm out to keep her from swinging too far away and beating him there. She expertly flipped around him and swung up higher out of reach. "Cat and mouse huh, my lady?"

She looked back to him in mid-swing. "This mouse is more clever than you, silly kitty!"

His blood boiled at the challenge, grin splitting his face in two as the bad melted away again. He could see the park from the height they were at and tried to step up his speed. He attempted to best her, but it was her home and she landed just as he was readying to touch the fenced rooftop. He stopped and looked down at her, seeing her smug look at having won. "You cheated." He pouted as he put his staff back.

Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Sore loser." She turned for the hatch, but he grasped her wrist and pulled her to him. "Chat?"

"We should change back before we head in so your parents can't see."

Which didn't mean that all of Paris couldn't possibly see, but the hungry look in his eyes betrayed his intentions. He wanted to watch her turn back to Marinette again. She harshly swallowed and dumbly nodded. She would be lying to herself if she didn't want the same thing... In a second, they both retracted their transformations and stood there as Marinette and Adrien on her roof with the nighttime chill around them.

He didn't think he was ever going to get tired of seeing his most beloved change back to the first real female friend he ever made. He stared into blue depths deeper than the ocean and much more intense. Those eyes showed him exactly what she was feeling in this second and he drank it in with abandon. His eyes mirrored hers and he took this one precious moment to memorize her face in the shadows. "You're...so beautiful..." He breathed, hand coming up to run through her hair.

She gave a silly smile and flushed at that. Her fingers finally gave in to their previous wishes and brushed the bangs from his face. She watched his enjoyment of her ministrations, her face softening. "And you...you will always be the most handsome of any boy I will ever know."

He couldn't help himself. "Because I'm on every magazine cover in Paris?" He kidded, lips tilting.

She scowled and lightly smacked him on the forehead with her fingertips. "No." She retorted, inching closer. "Because you are more amazing than I am." Her arms went around him, her head nestled against his neck. "So much more amazing..."

Her voice spoke of the pain in his life. He gave a small sigh and returned the embrace. He leaned his temple against her hair and gave the lightest of kisses to the top of her head. How much more luck would he use in order to keep enjoying this time with her like this? Morning was going to come all too soon and then the magic from this evening would evaporate and disappear. Tomorrow meant sorrow and action and faking platonic relationships. He wished it would never come. He just wanted the whole world to leave them like this and forget about them!

"Can we finally sleep now?! I'm tired!"

Annoyed green peeked open to find his kwami in his face and he glared at Plagg for ruining yet another mood he was thoroughly enjoying. He sighed and pulled away with every muscle screaming at him in regret. "He's so overbearing..."

She giggled and looked for Tikki. "We do all need a good night's rest for later..." She turned and opened the hatch for them to escape into. She hopped down first and scanned the room just in case. She headed to the lower level as he jumped to her bed and made to follow.

How different everything felt! She couldn't believe a mere few hours ago she was contemplating leaving her computer in search for him and was so scared to do so. The chair was even pulled out where she left it and she stared at it. She felt like she had entered a strange, parallel world after having taken that leap of faith. She thought back to Master Fu's place and wondered what would have happened if she stubbornly stayed resolute to her secret identity. How miserable would she be right now and what would Chat have done? He would have had to go back home because he had no other place to go and put himself in danger. Her resolve strengthened as she realized it had all been for the best.

"Marinette?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder in the silence, but didn't turn his way. "It...feels...so strange..." She murmured, seeing the plainness of her room as if she were in someone else's abode. "You were just here this afternoon..."

His eyes crinkled in mirth at the memory when she kept trying to back away through the wall to escape him. "And I was wondering what had happened to you too. I was so worried about you." His smile grew. "Had I any idea it was about me, maybe things would have turned out differently." He looked to her wall when something came to him. "You know...of the other times I've been here, I never saw my face so plastered about your room. Care to explain your desktop screen?"

She flushed and hunched away, but was put out at the mirth in his voice. He was enjoying this way too much! She had half a mind to clock him in the arm for making her go through this! She pouted and crossed her arms, trying to keep her face from resembling the sun. "S – so I...I took some of your pictures off the internet...and used a little...artistic expression... Sue me..."

He wanted to laugh at the whole thing. He was just feeling too good right now. Plagg was probably sleeping somewhere with or near Tikki and was done being a pest. He had the time to learn more about her than he ever thought he would get to. This was only getting better and better and he reveled in it as much as possible. He wanted to tease her till she couldn't take anymore and then kiss his apologies to her as many as she'd let him. He leaned his chin over her shoulder, unable to keep the grin off his face. "That sounds like net theft. I'm afraid I may have to report this. Unless you can keep me quiet, that is..."

She whipped around and pouted at his happy look. She wanted to stomp her foot, do more than glare at him...something! Giving him 'that look' wouldn't help because he was giving it to her right now. She paused at one thing that may turn him upside-down as he was doing to her and smirked. "Well..if I must, I must..."

His brow went up, mouth ready to ask questions, when her hands went to the back of her head. She quickly pulled both ribbons from her hair and shook it a little. His beautiful and amazing Marinette, outlined in the streetlights from outside in her dark room, suddenly so coy and smiling...with her hair down. The ribbons had crinkled part of it enough to make it look curly. He had never seen her hair outside of her normal pigtails and it was such a difference that knocked him for a loop. She shook her head a few more times to fluff it around her face and took a step to him till most of the air between them was gone. The bottom locks curled around her chin a little and highlighted her face in such a way that had him mesmerized.

Her fingertips playfully walked up his chest and tapped him lightly on the chin. She wanted to laugh at his attempts to speak and the wide-eyed look full of emotions that he was giving her. "You can run your fingers through it if you like..."

His hands twitched to do just that, but he was stone. He couldn't stop looking at her and that Ladybug look on her face, minus the mask. His mouth went dry, heart racing. Her fingers teased up his jawline to the back of his head and made every hair stand on end.

"Ladybug got your tongue this time, kitty?"

She was dangerous...she was seductive...she was his first love and he was heavily attached, too. To see her in a new way, even as simple as a hair change, made his heart bounce all over the room. Fingers finally inched up and touched one curl going around her shoulder. He tugged on it lightly, watching as it went back to its spot around her tiny shoulders. She was so small in front of him, her stature naturally so. She looked so frail, even though he very well knew that wasn't the case. She was everything to him and she was absolutely perfect in every way...even the so-called imperfections she thought she had.

"Now, if you're done playing, you can have my bed and I'll take the couch down here."

He blinked as she abruptly cut him off and stepped back. He watched her disappear behind a door to a narrow armoire before she stopped in front of him and held a shirt up to his torso. He vaguely listened to her mumble about sizes and realized he had to change clothes so his current ones could still be usable tomorrow. It wasn't like he could just swing in as Chat and go get a new pair after all...

"I'll sneak downstairs and change while you do so up here. Do you want me to get anything from the fridge?" He dumbly shook his head. "I may have a little something real quick. I...I haven't...eaten much over the past few days..."

Her sudden anxiety spoke of much and his mind was thrown back to her actions when he was last here. He suddenly worried she had been so preoccupied about him as Chat that it had affected her appetite. He quickly grasped her wrist before she could get too far. He was starkly reminded of their size difference when his fingers nearly touched his palm from how thin she was. A small thread of guilt started spreading through him and escaped through his eyes. "I hope I haven't caused too much trouble for you Marinette... I never want to be a source of pain to you."

She smiled sweetly and reached up to gently pat his cheek. "It's over. Those days are gone as if they never existed." She murmured. She took in the continual worry from his eyes and sighed, looking away. "I'll admit that I was quite...distraught when Master Fu gave me information about you. I holed myself up for a few days and stared at your pictures as I tried to figure everything out."

"Marinette -"

"You healed them. Those days are over and forgotten. Don't think to them anymore, Adrien."

She was closing the conversation and not letting him apologize for anything he unintentionally did. He gave a curt nod, still not happy that he had done anything to make her suffer, whether intentional or not. He let her go and took the clothes. He waited till the door quietly went back into place before taking off his designer outfit. She was still gone when he finished and he looked to her bed, face warming. Like he was going to be able to get any sleep, knowing he was in her bed, wearing her clothes! He was going to be able to smell her shampoo on her pillow. He was going to use the same covers she did to keep warm with. Hands covered his face as he stumbled back to the couch she was going to use and heavily sat on it. "This might have been a bad idea..." He mumbled through his fingers.

"You'll do just fine. Marinette is right...this is the safest place for you here."

He wasn't used to another voice talking to him outside of Plagg, let alone so cheerful and positive. He looked up and found Tikki glowing inches from his face. She gave him a bright smile, so unused to what he was usually used to dealing with, and landed on his offered palm. He gave her a small smile and felt a little more relaxed in her presence. "I'm glad you're the one she got, Tikki." He murmured. "Plagg is always so lazy and finicky about so much."

Tikki knowingly giggled. "Plagg is a cat, through and through." She cryptically responded. "Don't worry about Marinette, Adrien. She's had a few hard days, but being with you tonight has helped her. I've seen her bad emotions melt away after showing you who she really is. She's right; you healed those days and now they'll never be something she worries about. She'll only think about being with you here and now."

He smiled and watched Tikki fly over to the lounge pillow to wait for her partner. He felt some unease and guilt melt away and stared at her room in the darkness. It was so very Marinette and he liked her room. Sure it wasn't a huge space like his, but that was the point. Every part of her personality shined through...even with his pictures on her wall. Especially because those pictures were there. He shrugged with a smile and headed for the ladder. He pulled the blankets back and rested against the round cat pillow before looking down into her room in wait.

01010

It felt like a while before the door connecting the lower level opened and her head silently popped up. She snuck up the stairs and quietly returned the board before looking up to see her bed space. She saw a lump up there in the dark and smiled softly. Wondering if he was asleep, she tiptoed around her area, avoiding the creaky spots and went for an extra blanket in a chest against the far wall. She got situated on the couch and took a quiet, deep breath.

What a day it had been! She felt a gleeful smile split her face in two as she took time to let Adrien's words of love sink in. She tried not to let out a squeal and forcefully kept both hands over her mouth, lest she wake him. She knew he'd need his sleep, even if she doubted she'd get any tonight. The boy she was so deeply in love with not only loved her back, he was in her room and sleeping in her bed! Her heart ran away from her, adrenaline spiking at the mere thought.

She refused to let any bad thoughts take up residence in her head and ruin this perfect moment of solace. She needed such warmth to wash away every bad memory that had plagued her for what felt like forever. She reflected on them with a sense of pity at how she ever doubted Adrien's love. He loved the person who took up all the qualities that was Ladybug and that was her deep inside. Just like Chat was Adrien freed from his facade of being Gabriel's son. She loved him no less after knowing how playful he could be and she wanted to have more fun with it outside of the masks. She didn't mind the banter with him; it had been quite fun at times.

"Tikki..." She excitedly hissed, rolling to face her kwami. "Adrien loves ME!" She couldn't help but let the grin stretch her face from ear to ear.

Tikki gave a sleepy smile. "I'm happy for you Marinette. I told you it'd all work out okay..." She whispered.

"It's better than okay! He's here! He loves me back! I couldn't feel better if I tried!" Hands clasped over her mouth as a giggle bubbled up before she could fully keep it inside. Her legs kicked under the blankets in the sheer happiness that was threatening to erupt...forgetting that she wasn't alone and needed to be quiet.

"Marinette? Are you still awake too?"

She immediately stilled, heart thumping for a different reason. She whipped to the highest part of her room to find his shadow outlined with the light coming in from the hatch above. It created a soft halo of gold on his head and her hands started shaking at how it added to his looks. When she came to her senses, she recognized his words and what they meant. "You can't sleep?"

How did she think he ever could?! Did she think he was able to take up residence in her bed happy-as-you-please and just pass out? He leaned over the railing and extended a hand down. "I feel bad for stealing your bed." He whispered, though that wasn't the main point. His face turned bright red and he was happy that it was hidden in the blackness. "Um...is it okay...if you...care to share? I hate to make you sleep on your couch. I don't mind taking the couch and you can have your bed, but I doubt you'd let me, so is it maybe okay if we just share the bed? It's big enough for two people it seems like and -" He cut himself off and uncomfortably cleared his throat, hand kneading the back of his neck as he realized how foolish he sounded through his poor explanations. He was thankful that it was dark enough to hide the deep flush on his face.

She watched him transfixed, a different emotion starting to overtake her. What he was asking, insinuating...she trembled from the sheer thought of it, but felt a hand slowly reach for the blankets and pull them off her before she knew what she was doing. She stood and stopped at the bottom of the ladder, a sliver of doubt hitting her. How was she going to be able to get ANY sleep if she was up there with him?

He shifted and stared at her, eyes soft. "Please Marinette..." His palm extended again. "I would like to spend more time with you any way I can. Soon I'll have to pretend that I hardly know you and I want to make these seconds count."

His honesty and his heartfelt words, perhaps the true reason for wanting her up there, had her climbing the ladder and stopping near the top step. She could see his handsome face a little more and the gleam of his ring on the hand reaching for her. Her hand floated out on its own and lightly touched his palm. He tugged her to him with more force than he probably meant to with the sheer amount of adrenaline running through him. She off-balanced and landed on him with a muted cry of surprise, face buried in his shoulder. He never apologized, never said anything to the embarrassment that must have encompassed them both. He let her shimmy off him and he moved to the wall to let her have the front part. If anything happened in the morning and he needed to hide, the first person anyone would see would be her.

She was on overload right now and she was still sitting on the mattress inches away from him! She almost didn't think she could do this and any attempt to force herself to shift died. Her hands clenched, nails digging into her palms. She couldn't stop shaking at this scenario. She was going to get to sleep on Adrien's shoulder, maybe hold his hand, as they drifted off! She wanted to scream her emotions and giggle like an idiot.

He gave a supportive smile and extended his palm to her. It took almost a minute for her to grasp it and when she finally did, he was only somewhat shocked to find it utterly shaking in his. He wasn't going to lie, he felt a lot of what she may be, but he had been looking forward to things like this for so long and that longing was making him much stronger than her right now.

His other hand closed over top of hers and he gave a light squeeze through a sense of chagrin. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to you know, Marinette. I would never force you to do anything you don't want. It's just...that..." He quickly looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed for saying the deepest desires of so many daydreams that had played through his head for so many days. "I can finally do these things with you... I've wanted to for a long time. I'm just being selfish right now because I feel like you'll let me finally hold you and touch you instead of pushing me away like in the past."

She had done those things before, but never again. She wanted to give him so many happy memories, even simple ones like this. His slight upset made her want to calm him in any way and she lost most of the hesitation previously plaguing her. She gave a soft smile and took her hand away to get comfortable on her own bed. "Does this mean I get to sleep on your shoulder tonight?"

He stared at her, looking down as she got comfortable on her pillow and looking at him expectantly. He harshly swallowed and nodded before shifting under the covers and hoping his flush wasn't as noticeable as he feared. The second his arm swept open, she quickly snuggled up next to him, hair tickling his nose as she found a curve in his shoulder and was still. He felt their roles reverse as she rested a hand on his chest and gave a happy little sigh. Wide eyes stared out at the night sky above, heart racing away from him and adrenaline hitting him with a vengeance. He feared she would hear how fast his heart was going, but there was still a little shiver to her fingers and he was somewhat thankful she was still affected as he was. Yes they had been dreams and wishes of his, but now that they were actually happening and she was happy to participate, he was a little less prepared than he thought.

His brain fully kicked in at their positions after a second and the arm around her gave a squeeze. He couldn't believe how light she was and that physical comparison to him only made him want to hold her tighter. He felt even more pathetic at knowing that her slight form always kept saving him from so many things in life. His free hand found hers and entwined their fingers tightly. She grasped him back and nuzzled his shoulder a little. He smiled and gave a long exhale, leaning his cheek against her head.

"I wish that we could stay like this forever..." She whispered, feeling how warm he was.

She was already thinking to tomorrow when they had to be separated for duty and appearances. "We can enjoy this as much as we like right now, Marinette. I know I plan to." He quietly returned, bringing her hand up to his mouth in a light kiss.

She beamed and shuffled onto her arms to see him before she second-guessed herself. She stared down into his soft features, melting at the sight of him. Her hip burned where his arm fell to and lightly rested. She stared at him for what felt like forever, hand floating up to go through his hair and push it out of his face. More emotions peeked out from him as she did so and her lips twitched. "You're tired." She quietly stated, seeing it hidden in his features.

He blinked, head tilting a little against the pillow. "Um...maybe a little, yea."

She felt a little sad that they were going to lose each other for their subconscious. "I don't want to go to sleep unless it means that I get to dream about something with you in it."

He beamed and his hand floated up to the back of her head. Her hair spilled around her, threatening to tickle his cheeks. His fingers went through it a few times, getting an appreciative hum from her. "I agree. Let's be sure to have good dreams about each other." He gently tugged her face to his and gave her a soft, almost chaste kiss. His hands directed her back to his embrace and she returned to lay against him in a second. "Goodnight Marinette."

"Good night Adrien..."


	9. Good Morning My Love

The dawn came up above some of the buildings, but it didn't make enough of an impact to let all inhabitants know it was time to get ready for the day. It was only when there was a hushed melody playing somewhere in the room below that he finally stirred. He gave the quietest of groans and his eyes fluttered open, seeing part of the cloudless sunrise trying to peek in on the place. The silent breathing of the weight on top of him had his eyes flying open to his surroundings and remembering just where he was.

He immediately stilled and looked to midnight strands maybe an inch from his nose. His heart suddenly started going faster, face turning beet red. He listened to the song of what must be her cell phone alarm going off somewhere in her room. He wanted to wake her, to get her to shut it off so her mother didn't come up here and find him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Marinette was still sleeping on top of his shoulder, legs tucked in with his. She was warm and light over him and she was nice to cuddle with. It made his heart flutter to be able to wake up to this.

But...it was time to break the bubble and face the day.

"Marinette...Marinette...you have to get up and turn off your phone!" He hissed, giving her shoulder a shake.

She groaned and clutched at something warm in any attempt to keep from waking from the cocoon she was enveloped in. It was strong and warm and she was quite comfortable next to it. "In a minute...mom..." She mumbled, burrowing more to her sense of security.

His lips twitched and he wanted to see her asleep, but that meant he would have to be able to sit up. "Marinette...your mom is going to come up here and find me if you don't turn off your alarm."

An eye regrettably peeked open as a voice registered in her head...one that wasn't Tikki She stretched her legs and arms as much as possible against something and slowly propped herself up on an arm. She blinked tired eyes as she looked at Adrien's ruffled appearance and a hand came up to wipe the sleep from her eyes. She shook her head and wiped them again when his vision still remained. It seemed to take a second, but when her brain engaged, it mentally exploded. She quickly sat up with wide eyes and shuffled away, fumbling for sounds because syllables were impossible right now. She watched him sit up with a smirk and silently take hold of her fingers.

He brought the back of her hand to his mouth and gave it a light kiss. She was so adorable; did she think last night had all been a dream? "Good morning... You may want to go silence your alarm before your mom finds me in your bed with you." He gently reiterated, wondering if she had heard anything he said before.

Her face went beet red as she kept stammering at him. The melody finally got past her heartbeat rushing through her ears and she quickly hurried down the ladder, eyes jumping around for wherever she put it last night before having left her room. She spotted it about ready to vibrate off the desk and caught it as it started to tip. She shut it off with a huge sigh.

"Marinette? Are you awake?"

She jumped and looked to the hatch, then Adrien, then the hatch again. She felt adrenaline hit her. "Yes mama!" She loudly proclaimed. She cringed at the excessive tone and gave a glare above when she heard quiet snicker in response. There was sudden, muted creaking and her eyes flew open. "Hide!" She hissed before hurrying to the front of the door. In another second, the door was pushed open, revealing her concerned mother poking her head up. A hand reached up to her and she crouched down to keep any extra attention off the rest of her room.

"Goodness you look a mess for so early in the morning. Did you manage to get any good sleep last night finally?"

Her mouth gaped open like a fish a few times as she stumbled for words. "Y – yea! Yes I did! Shoulder! I finally slept warm! I mean...it was a well night's rest...I mean..."

Her mother looked a little confused, but patted her hand with a smile. "If you slept well, that's the important thing. Your father and I have been so worried over your behavior the last few days. I'm glad to see you finally looking better. Do you think you feel well enough to go to school now? I won't push you if you think you're not up to it still."

Anxiety ate at her. Adrien was hearing her mother's words and the worry in them. She already tried to play off her previous troubles and he was going to find out just how dire they had been. "I'm fine now mama. Thank you for worrying about me so much. I'm sorry if I had been such a trouble for you...acting like I did. Can you make me some food and bring it upstairs please? I just woke up and I don't have anything ready for today."

Her mother patted her hand again. "It makes me happy to hear you request food. I know how you haven't been eating hardly anything since I first saw you so disheveled. We'll make you whatever you want; just name it."

She tried not to cringe at those words, but it was hard. She quickly rattled off more food than she needed, knowing her mother would merely think her appetite had returned with a vengeance. Her mother closed the hatch and then was gone. She heaved a sigh, feeling like she dodged that bout of paranoia. A hand went over her heart as she tried to slow it and calm down. She looked up when silence followed the return of safety and found Adrien staring down at her with a reserved expression. She blinked at him and hurried up the ladder, fearing what he would be feeling after that brief exchange. A sense of urgency suddenly ate at her when she met his eyes and the quiet way he was handling himself.

He watched her come upstairs and shuffled away as she made to sit on the mattress with him. He stared at her and let her grasp his hand. He looked to the tight fingers around his lax ones, guilt returning. He stared for what felt like the longest time, unable to find the right words to say first. Tears wanted to corrupt his vision and he tried to keep them from forming. "I'm sorry that I've been such a source of agony for you." His eyes slowly closed, regret quickly eating away all the good since they escaped his house last night. Last night's bliss and this morning's cuteness fizzled to nothing. "I almost wish that...that you never knew who I was if it was only going to make you so conflicted that you almost stopped eating for two days. I really worried you and your parents. I'm...I'm sorry..."

She quickly shuffled forward till her knees touched his. She tightly cupped his face in her hands, feeling urgent. "Those days are over Adrien!" She insisted again, eyes darting around his face. Her brow furrowed upward when he gave her a look of sorrow.

"They still happened, didn't they?"

Teeth bit her lip and she finally looked down, grip slacking. "Y...yes...they did..." She mentally kicked herself and looked into his eyes with resolution. "I won't deny that fact and lie to you. I was distraught, and my love for you created such a sense of anxiety at being next to you as either Ladybug or Marinette. I didn't think I could do it. I only made things worse for myself because I didn't think you would love the real me and all my faults, so I hid here for two days. But now, I see that I was only fooling myself. I was stupid to doubt you and not tell you who I was." A tender smile graced her features at the stark emotion in his eyes from her honesty. "I know now that I can lean on you for whatever problem I have, whenever I need to. That feels good to know. You'll always be there for me and I understand that now."

He could barely contain himself as he listened to her words that pierced his heart and batted the clouds away. His arms snaked out and clutched her to him tightly the second she finished speaking. The relief from her words hit him in a way he didn't think he would have ever worried about. She revealed her identity and that showed a sense of trust right there, but to hear her speak such heartfelt words soothed him more than he ever thought possible. Even if those days had been so hard on her, she didn't want to trade them for this...just like he was about to do. He had been ready to trade the knowledge of her love for her safety and remain in the pit of unawareness...as horrible as it was every day.

"I love you Marinette. It makes no difference to me who you are. I will always love you regardless. I will always be a fool for you when you need me to if I know it will make you smile. I will always try to be there for you however I can in order to protect you from any harm that may befall you. I never want to see you in such pain ever again like I did yesterday." He recalled the battle and how she all but cried in his arms even though she still didn't know who he was. Her emotions had been so horribly toyed with because of him. He was her one weakness because of her love and the enemy used that against her. He squeezed her briefly at the horrible memory he had been unable to eradicate. "Just tell me what to do to erase that image in your mind for eternity."

She was practically weeping in his hold, at the sweetness of his oaths and the pleading in those final words. Her heart expanded to a distance she didn't think it could get to and she clutched at him through the runaway train that were her feelings for him. She quickly pulled back and kissed his mouth, his cheeks, his eyes, his forehead, his nose. Her hands cupped his face as she harshly kissed his mouth again, but pulled away before he could properly return it. She stared at him with her eyes swimming and the tears slipping away. "You're here..." She whispered, her smile causing more tears to fall. "I haven't thought of it since last night. Just stay by me and it will never come back."

His hands went to the back of her head and pulled her to him. He never thought he could feel more for her than in this second, but he was wrong. An all-encompassing need to love her, to protect her, to be with her, overtook him so much and he lost himself in it. He had always felt something like this every day, but she had magnified it and threw it back at him. He whispered her name into her mouth and she returned his to him. He finally pulled away and hugged her tightly. "I don't think I could love you more than in this second..." He murmured, eyes burning. His own emotions were almost too much and it was hard to deal with them properly. He wasn't doing them justice by merely embracing her like this and speaking pitiful words of love.

She looked above to the blue sky of the morning, hand floating to the back of his head to stroke his hair lightly. They were flying somewhere past that sky into the heavens right now and it felt amazing. Paris had disappeared and she was somewhat stunned that she had forgotten even her mother downstairs who would return soon per her request. She suddenly loosened her embrace to stare to the lower part of her room as a sudden bout of paranoia took hold. "Mama will have breakfast ready soon. Stay up here till she brings it and then it should be safe for you to leave this area. I don't think she'll see you if you bunch the blanket up around you and make it look like I just didn't make my bed yet."

She was thinking of his safety, even if it also meant hers. He gently took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Whatever you say my lady..." He gave her a smile that spoke of sudden, underlying playfulness. "Your wish is my command."

She grinned and started giggling, but was cut off at the sound of her mother's footsteps on the stairs below. Her eyes flew wide and in one fluid motion, she roughly pushed him onto her bed with a muted cry from him and pulled the blankets over him. She bunched them up over him entirely before hurrying down the ladder just as her mother was opening the hatch. "Th – thank you mama!" She went to take the tray and put it on her desk.

"You haven't gotten ready at all. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

She waved off her mother as a convenient yawn escaped her. She wiped her eyes again and looked down. "I guess I'm just waking up slower than usual this morning. I'll try to hurry."

"School will start soon if you're going. Just leave the dishes on your desk when you leave and I'll take care of them."

She smiled and nodded. "Thanks mama." She waited till the hatch closed again before heaving another sigh. A hand covered her eyes. "This may just kill me before it's over..." There was a snort before the blanket above was shoved away. She looked up at mirthful eyes and a finger pointed up with a stern look accompanying it. "Not. One. Word."

Sad. There were so many he wanted to tease her with. He merely shrugged through a blinding smile and headed to the lower level and eyed the spread. His stomach rumbled loudly as he tried to find out what to start in on and he had the decency to blush when she giggled at him. "At least I'm in the best place for a good breakfast." He quietly kidded, smiling her way. "And the best company too."

She gave him a dry look, but waved her hand...hoping her cheeks weren't as hot as they felt. "Okay Mr. Charmer, you can take the first pick." She let him go for the food she got to have everyday and wondered just what he ate in the mornings. It was one of the aspects she thought to when she tried to picture his life. She grabbed him a chair and they sat in front of the tray. She openly watched him scarf down her parent's cooking with a sense of amusement. It wasn't anything major... This hadn't been the first time, but she still wondered about his life. "You don't get to eat food like this?"

He swallowed the chunk of warm croissant and gave her a disbelieving look. "Of course I don't. Your parents are great cooks! And we even have a chef." He was about ready to tear into the remaining piece, but paused. "Course, they own a bakery, so I suppose that's a given."

She was content to watch him eat with vigor and wondered if, sometime soon, she would be able to make something for him. She looked to her chocolate milk and her heart warmed at the thought.

"You need to eat more before we leave." He suspiciously eyed her face. "What are you thinking about?"

She blinked at him, but picked up her milk and stared at it. "I was just thinking that...maybe someday soon...I could make you something...if you like..."

He slowly chewed as he watched her take a long drink. He waited till she looked at him again before giving her a huge smile. "That'd be great! No one has ever made anything for me... Well...I guess all those bought chocolates on Valentine's Day are something, but they're not homemade and they're not from someone I love." He grabbed a banana and promptly opened it up. "I'll be waiting anxiously for that day, my lady."

Her lips twitched, but her eyes narrowed a little. "I never knew you could be so impatient. Any requests? If I don't know it, I can learn from papa."

He was beginning to get more excited than he thought he would at this. He took a bite of his fruit as he thought. The first homemade food from Marinette...what did he want to get?! His lips twitched when something occurred to him. "Chocolate chip cookies."

Her head tilted in total confusion. "Why that? It's so simple."

He smirked. "I never got to eat them the last time I was here."

Because she had practically kicked her parents out of her room and not let him have any. She blushed and drank some more of her milk before going for something else. She picked up an apple and took a bite. "Chocolate chip cookies...got it." She mumbled sheepishly. "Maybe when all this is over, I'll see what the situation is like and maybe bring them to you at school."

"Or we can meet up outside of school sometime soon and you can give them to me then."

"And listen to everyone's head explode from someone finding out?" She gave him a dry look when he smiled at her.

"They will anyway. Do you think I'm going to go back to the way things were with you after this whole thing is finished? I like being able to hold you and kiss you and touch you any time I like because I know you'll let me now."

Alya was going to kill her, she just knew it. How did she go about explaining that she all of a sudden found the guts to strike up a conversation with Adrien Agreste who she couldn't manage a simple sentence to before?! Then, to let known to everyone that they were going out and also kissing? Chloe was going to have a hay day with her ears! A finger tapped her chin in desperate thought. "Hmm, maybe I can just say that I remembered having signed that poem..." She mumbled to herself.

"Hmm?"

She flushed and looked away. "I...I sent you a poem...on Valentine's Day, but I stupidly forgot to sign it. I suppose, had I done so, none of this would ever have come about..."

So she WAS the one who wrote that! His heart fluttered as he recalled the most romantic words ever been given to him. A brow rose when a thought occurred to him. "You know...I distinctly remember having thrown mine in the trash before I left class that day..." He watched her fidget under his gaze and he started to become pleased with himself for it. A Chat-like grin split his face. "Do you have other such 'interesting' habits when it comes to me?"

Oh god if he happened to see the roll-up map of his schedule merely resting above his head...! She wanted to die at the mere instance ever occurring! "N – no..." She squeaked, eyes wide. The amused look on his face said he wasn't buying any of it. She quickly went for a croissant and took a bite to be unable to give herself away.

It was a horrible lie and he saw right through it. He pointedly watched her become redder and redder till it look like her head might just explode under his scrutinizing gaze. He smirked and figured she would give herself away in the days to come. "It's okay." He butt in, giving something of a sheepish smile. "I've done some stupid things when it's concerned you, too."

She blinked. "Like what?"

He looked to the banana peel and set it on the tray. "Like...sort of...instigate that entire copycat akuma..." He fiddled with the peel a bit before going for the rest of her drink. "By being a bit...jealous...at knowing someone else was in love with you."

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him with wide eyes. "No way! Me too!" She jumped and slapped hands over her mouth when she just realized that she admitted to her own jealousy. She looked at his confused expression and wrung her hands together. "I...well...k – kind of...kind of started...that whole...Volpina...thing..."

His eyes widened and the final puzzle piece fit into place. His mouth opened at thinking that Ladybug, whom he still chased after at the time, was jealous of another girl getting near him as Adrien because she was so in love with him! He started chuckling as quietly as he could at the memory he now saw a different way. A hand covered his mouth as she looked excessively put out. "I...wondered...just what...haha...happened to you...hehe..."

She turned redder than a tomato and stood. She needed to put distance between them lest she hit him for enjoying himself so much at her expense! "Yea, yea...I know...it was in bad taste and I still paid for it in more ways than one." She whipped away from him and crossed her arms. "We have to get ready for school soon! Hurry and finish up so we can figure out how we're going to get dressed. You don't have your bag for school and I have to think about how we can make that work to our advantage."


	10. Pretending to be Strangers

School was beyond bland. After two days of emotional rollercoasters and a majorly hectic battle, there was nothing amazing about sitting in class taking history notes. Every time she stared at the back of Adrien's head, her mind wandered to last night when the Paris lights had haloed it and spun it gold. She kept getting nudged by Alya whenever the teacher started calling on students for answers to make sure they were paying attention. She messed up a few times when she missed hearing her name and could only mumble excuses that she may not be fully back to health and weakly apologized for it. That stayed the teachers, but it didn't help her classmates from picking on her a bit...namely Chloe.

All she wanted to do was sit on her balcony with Adrien and look out over Paris! She wanted to dress up as Ladybug and Chat Noir and go swing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, stare down at everything, and talk about nothing. She wanted to go race him over rooftops and flirt with him excessively. It was absolute torture to be so near him and make it seem like nothing had ever occurred between them. He was right on one main point though: there was no way she wanted to go back to the way things were when she was never able to talk to him, let alone find the guts to embrace him. She was doing it now and it was killing her! She didn't know how they could fix this publicly, but that could get worked out when the Butterfly issue was done and over with.

He seemed to sense her issues and know what she was going through. A few times he pretended to run his hands through his hair and his fingers discretely wiggled to her in a secret way of saying hello. He knew she'd be watching him more than class because of how many times she was talked to for not paying attention. He knew and he sent her a message that he felt the same.

At one point, she made a subtle showing of dropping her stylus so it clacked down under his seat. She sent a quiet thanks his way when he picked it up and turned to give it to her. That instance gave them the chance to clasp hands for the briefest of touches when she took her stylus back and brush her fingers against his. He gave her 'that look' and a soft smile to go along with it and she felt she must be doing the same the way her heart flipped. She still had the ability to blush and make it look like things were normal before looking to her pad.

At some point in class, her mind switched gears to the battle later tonight. There were so many things she had to prepare for and she had no idea what was going to happen. They knew exactly who and where Butterfly was, yet he hadn't come looking for Adrien as if something was wrong. No one had been turned evil and the his household didn't even seem panicked that Ladybug had all but whisked Adrien away in the middle of the night from an evil madman.

This was too easy and she was immediately suspicious. The next bout of class had her paranoid to the point of anything the teacher paused on in a lecture, anyone that passed by the courtyard windows, or any bird that flew by the outside made her think something was going to happen. She didn't know if Gabriel suspected her, but he knew how to find her. If Ladybug was dug up, chances were Adrien may or may not follow so she could protect him.

"You're looking kind of scary...what's wrong?" Alya whispered.

She jumped and tried to keep the surprised shriek down, but it still got the attention of their physics teacher. She profusely apologized for the outburst, lamely stating she thought a bug landed on the back of her neck. The teacher seemed less annoyed at her lesson getting interrupted, although Alya didn't buy it and it got Adrien's attention again. He openly looked at her, as was most everyone else in the classroom, but he was the only she stared back at. He was the only one she silently communicated her worry and fears to via her eyes.

Just as class was ending for the lunch hour, Alya pounced. "I guess you're still not feeling well enough to be here." She thoughtfully remarked, critically eying her. A hand went to her forehead again. "I mean, some of your behavior is pretty normal for you, but you seem a tad...I dunno how to put it...off?"

She slapped the hand away and made a showing of being annoyed at the statement, though she was a little anxious her friend would see right through her. Some of those excuses were too weak to be believable, especially to Alya. "Like I said in class, maybe I'm just not feeling well enough to be here yet."

"Do you need to go home for the rest of the day? I can take notes for you, you know."

She smiled at her friend's thoughtfulness. "Thanks Alya, but I think I just need a good meal. I have to admit that during that time off, I didn't eat much."

"And I was requested by your precious mother to make sure you stuffed yourself full until you're the picture of health again. Come Marinette, she asked me before she saw me out the other day to make sure you ate well whenever I had the next opportunity."

Adrien was suddenly by her side, his smooth words not allowing for any debate to his pretty speech nor giving away anything other than basic, friendly concern. He was wrapping an arm around hers and grabbing her backpack, practically swooping her from her seat above him and almost dragging her from the room. He easily batted away any comments and questions from any classmates by explaining how delicate she had been the last few days and how she needed some help from her friends to get back on track.

She knew Alya would be happy for her, but somewhat suspicious...even after having been there with Adrien that day and seeing everything for herself. That well thought-out entrance and exit speech had everyone convinced enough for keep scrutiny off her and Alya out of her hair until she pounced for details later that day. She mentally thanked him for the relief from her own brain as they exited school.

She kept up her usual appearances of being a stuttering, blushing mess until they got to the bottom of the school's stairs...not that it was so difficult though. She stopped when he made to head to the bakery and slipped her arm from his to reach for her backpack. "I think I can get it from here..." She murmured, lips tilting slightly. "Nice work."

He took a step back and watched her get situated before giving her a light smile. "You gave me such an easy opening, it was simple my lady."

Her shoulders scrunched to her ears as she giggled at his playful tone and started for her home. He easily kept in time with her and put both hands behind his head as they walked. She looked at him when he kept walking like that, brow raising. "Why are you doing that?"

He eyed her and how she was looking to his arms and his eyes playfully narrowed. "If I leave my hands at my sides, one of them is eventually going to find yours."

She looked away as she blushed and squelched a girlish giggle. She glanced back as they waited for the light to change and found him giving her soft eyes. Teeth bit her lip and her heart started racing at how publicly they were flirting. They were barely off school grounds, not that it was more than a block or two anyway, and there were still so many people that could see them and what they were doing. It was too dangerous for her sanity and gossip to be caught doing this, but she was reveling in it. It made her want to be brash and act stupid.

Her lips pressed together before she quickly reached up and took her hair down...knowing how much he liked it before. A hand lightly ruffled it to loosen it and then she was giving him a smirk through her locks. She almost, almost questioned the ramifications of her own actions, but any other thought after seeing his expression died. The coy expression on his face was gone, the smile slipped for something more serious in his eyes. It made her heart jump up in her throat and her hands shake a little.

He harshly swallowed, fingers itching to run through her hair again. A shiver stole through him and he lost the ability to know his surroundings. His hands clasped together tighter, almost turning his knuckles white. He couldn't do as he wished when he felt that so many of their classmates were still in the area...although it made the game that much more delicious. He openly pouted at her, barely able to take his eyes off her. "No fair Marinette..."

She merely grinned at how he was giving himself away to her. She felt powerful knowing she had the upper hand right now and took a quick step away to face him as she walked backwards. "Oops...my hands slipped. I guess I'll just have to have some help getting my hair back to normal before class. After all, I'm not feeling that well yet..."

Had he looked in a mirror, he would have been smiling exactly like Chat did to Ladybug when she let him flirt with her. "Your eager kitty is at your service, my lady..."

She giggled and pulled the door open to the bakery. She greeted her parents and stated that she offered Adrien to have lunch with her because she just found out that he usually ate by himself at home and thought he needed company. Her family of course said they would add him a place with her at the table and she led him to the upper floor while her mother got ready to step away from the counter to get her something to eat.

She finally stopped in her room and put her bag on her desk for now. "Any lunch requests?" She asked, turning to him.

He gave her an odd look. "I'm just a guest; I'm not going to start ordering your parents around."

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "It's no trouble. They did make all that food without you asking the day you were here to play video games for the contest."

Within moments, he had rattled off a few basics, not wanting to be too greedy with his first lunch ever with Marinette, and she left to let her mother know. He looked around her room, still seeing his posters above her computer, and went to her desktop to turn the screen on. He grinned at his previous photo shoots staring back at him idly before looking around.

"Okay, mama said we have to wait about ten minutes before we head downstairs and...what are you doing?!"

"What's that?"

Her eyes flew open at what he was pointing to. Her hands flailed for a second until he went to pull it down. She gave an eep and hurried to him. She pushed his hands out of the way and grasped his wrists, feeling sheer panic and slight terror at what he would do should he find his entire schedule well mapped out in her room. Her mouth gaped open to tell him it was nothing, but her actions just said otherwise. The only thing she did was look like a fish out of water.

She was acting weird and he knew it must be concerning him. She was usually like this whenever he was involved and it must be a doozy if she was trying to physically keep him from looking at it. His eyes narrowed with a smile. This would be too easy. "What's the matter Marinette? Is it perhaps something about me?" In a second, he had twisted his wrists out of her hold and grasped them both with his larger hand. He held her there as she actually struggled against him and pulled down a small chord...looking at an entire month's worth of his schedule staring back at him.

She wanted to die! She wanted nothing more than the floors to open up and swallow her through the building! She stammered sounds, unable to think of any rational explanation, face flaming to new temperatures of red she never felt possible. It was even worse when he merely stared at everything as if taking it in, no shock or disgust on his face. His eyes darted around his extraneous lessons with an even face. She was barely aware that he was still holding onto her wrists, but lightly now.

"Well...that's...pretty thorough... Although, my piano lessons have been moved back by an entire hour so you may want to change that." His amused gaze turned to her. "Just for future reference..."

She turned red to her ears and pulled her hands free to cover her face. "Oh god!" She moaned, shrinking to the floor. She buried her face in her knees and refused to look at him.

He chuckled at her reaction, shaking his head. When she didn't move, he kneeled and put a cajoling hand on her back, lightly patting her. "Should I be screaming in terror and running away right now instead? Is that what you thought I would do?"

"Maybe..." She mumbled, still refusing to look at him.

He laughed for a moment. "Well, I won't lie. It is a bit 'interesting' at how you got all that information when you never could have a normal conversation with me. It's still pretty impressive though."

"Just...just...shut up..." She mumbled, feeling more than humiliated.

He laughed again at her misery and stood, looking around her room again. He stopped at the vanity, rummaging through a few drawers before finding what he wanted and kneeled behind her. He got somewhat comfortable, grabbed a small chunk of hair, and started brushing. He watched her shoulders slacken little by little, hands eventually falling away from her face. "If you want, I can show you the Ladybug items that I have hidden in my room when this is all said and done. Care to know how many times I visited the Ladyblog last week?"

She flushed, but didn't look to him because that would mean he'd have to stop that beautiful feeling of the brush going through her hair. Her eyes fluttered closed as she listened to him talk about how he read everything Alya posted online concerning her and that he had seen every video of her at least twice. She eventually shifted her stance to sit more comfortably and pretty much leaned against him as he kept working his magic.

"Oh, and let's not forget all the times I tried to figure out who you were. I've spent many an afternoon staring at your pictures on the Ladyblog by the way. Then there was the Valentine's Day poem I attempted to write for you and threw away like a coward. There was that time I lied and told the sculptor that you and I were in a relationship. Oh and -"

"Okay, okay. You stalk me as much as I stalk you." She butt in, unable to keep the smile off her face.

He smiled and looked down. She was pretty much draped against him and he had to switch his stance to keep from getting knocked over. This was pretty fun and he hoped they had a lot of time left.

Fate however, was not kind. The pair looked over with wide eyes from their place on the floor when the hatch opened. "Lunch is re - oh my..."

She jolted away from him and gave her mother a nervous smile. "A – Adrien was just...h – helping get my hair back to normal...after I snagged it on a tree walking home!" She quickly produced the ribbons from her jacket and almost shoved them in his hands with a nervous laugh. "Is lunch about ready, mama?"

Her mother smiled and nodded. "I'll just get everything set up and let you two dig in. I have to get back downstairs and help your father."

"Thanks mama."

"Thanks Mrs. Dupain-Cheng."

"Thank you for being here Adrien."

The door closed without another word and she heaved a sigh, head going back against her knees again. "I'm going to have to explain you before too much longer..." She groused, fearing what her parents were going to bombard her with by the end of it all.

He undid the knots in the ribbons and sectioned off part of her hair. "It'll be easier than you think."

She gave her room a dry look as he worked only because she was unable to look at him in this second. "And just how are you justifying that?"

"I've met your parents multiple times as both Adrien and Chat Noir. They're cool people. Much more accepting than my dad. It's our classmates you'll have to worry about."

She snorted and moved away when he finished tying the ribbon and gave the crown of her head a tap with the brush. She took it and put it away before stopping in front of him with a smile. "Thanks."

He smiled and took her hand. "Anytime Marinette. Any excuse I get to touch you."

Her smile turned playful. "Then maybe I should give you a proper thank you..."

Before he could ask questions, she had stepped forward and was kissing him. He was just starting to respond back when she pulled away and traced her finger down his jaw to his chin. He moved to her, but she shimmied out of his hold with a coy look. "Y – you're welcome..." He stammered, longing to do that again. The fun of the situation was how hard-to-get she was suddenly being and it made his heart race.

"Let's go have food and then we can try discussing battle strategies for tonight."

01010

"I still don't think you should go home!"

"How am I going to explain an entire day's absence to Natalie?"

"I'm sure your horrible father can think of something."

He sighed and ran through his hair. His mood was brightened a little by the quiche he stuck in his mouth. He purposely ignored that comment on how horrid his father was for the heavenly flavor. Fingers thoughtfully tapped on the table as he chewed. He hadn't thought to the evening, but it was really risky after knowing who his father was. The fact alone that no police had visited the school was odd enough. "So what do you suppose I do? Stay here again tonight?"

She flushed and quickly looked to her plate when his suggestion ended with 'that look'. She toyed with some of her food for a second as last night went skipping through her mind. "I'm hoping everything will be over before that." She tried to think of any plan she had formed earlier and concentrate on the conversation at hand. She finally looked to him a little frustrated. "I don't know why we've had it so easy today, but I really don't want to question it. I want to take this strange peace for granted. Even though it's making me really uneasy..."

"I suppose we'd know if father turned someone to his side. The attacks are usually within the area and even if they weren't, Alya's phone has that app on it to inform her." He fingered his chin in thought as he chose another piece of food. "I don't want to say it's too easy but...this is too easy."

She sighed. "I say you finish out school like a normal middle schooler, we can come back here to study, and then you can stay for dinner. My parents won't care if you eat with us. I'll just tell them that your dad was busy designing something or he had a meeting during dinner and I felt bad for you eating all alone."

"It's not so bad after a while..." He gave her a half-hearted smile at the lame joke. "I'm used to it...kind of..." He shrugged. What else was he supposed to have done?

She scowled at him and pointed her fork in his face. "That does it. You're having dinner here!" She reached out and lightly poked his cheek before he could bat her away. "And there will be no more discussion on that part." She looked to her food, feeling mad at his father for making Adrien have all his meals at home without any conversation to make it livelier. She would show him how a real family interacted at the dinner table!

"Just how do you intend on getting me back here after school is done without incriminating us anyway?" He asked, brow raising.

"I've been 'sick' for two days, remember?" A smile started forming all its own. "I need some help getting back on track with the topics I missed from class. Who better than a star student who is super smart from being home-schooled for so many years?"

God, she was sneaky! It was scary how fast her brain worked and how she could spin every random detail together to work to her advantage. Despite how she couldn't find such quick wit with him before last night, the cleverness she had as Ladybug was all Marinette.

He loved every second of it, too!

"I AM pretty smart if I do say so myself..." He kidded, matching her smile.

Fingers lightly drummed on the table as her brain kept whirling. "If no one else knows where you are after school, then no one can come looking for you. If anything happens, we'll be there to protect each other in a second. I'll pretend to show you out and have you hang out on a nearby roof. I'll just state that I need to go to bed early, claiming that I still felt slightly out of it in class today and need more rest. That should allow me to safely transform, get out through the roof, and then I can meet you shortly afterward."

"Sounds like you've thought of just about everything. So what's the plan of attack when we get back to my house?"

She heaved a sigh and took a drink give her time to think of something. "That's the one thing I just can't get pinned down..." She groused, trying not to slam her cup on the table. "This whole day has me on edge. Why hasn't your father tried to come after us? We know who he is! We know where he's been hiding out! Why isn't he doing anything about that?"

He snorted, but he was far from amused. "Well...you've seen how father refused to leave when the house was attacked by his pawn. He's stubborn and hard-headed. I bet he doesn't think we're going to rat him out. He's probably doing designer work right now and not even phased in the slightest about this."

She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "I'm so glad you didn't end up like your dad..." She suddenly groused, slightly pouting at the man's egotistical behavior. Why wasn't Gabriel Agreste acting out after last night?

He propped his head up on the table and stared at her in slight amusement. "I suppose I could have, given that I was home-schooled till now and was kept away from everyone unless it was for his work." He looked to the table, seeing that empty house amidst the wood finish. "I guess I can see why he did it... If something happened to mother and he was there, he may still hold himself responsible. He was worried that something would happen to me too and then he'd be left alone. Maybe, in his own way, he's trying to do the right thing...but he's still in so much pain that he can't do the right thing in the right way."

How much more perfect could he get? She clutched at his hand and held the back of his palm against her cheek. Tears lined her eyes, but she refused to let them fall for the terrible factors of his life. "This is why...you're more amazing than I am..."

His eyes softened and he turned his hand to cup her cheek. "Why's that?" He quietly asked, thumb rubbing her skin.

Her eyes squeezed shut, a tear falling as she did so. "I can't forgive your father, but you...you still love him...even when he tried to use you against me. Even after all the times he's ignored you and treated you so horribly..."

His eyes sadly closed for only the briefest of moments. He remembered the last hug his father gave him after the hypnotist broke in. It was genuine, even though it was brief, and it had only made him want more ever since then. His eyes slitted open and stared at the ring on his finger. "I want to believe that my father still loves me. He's just hurting a lot. Maybe he blames himself for what happened to mother. No, after last night, I know he is. I'd have to get more details out of him to know what actually happened, but right now I know he won't say anything about it. I bet he just wants us to be a family again as much as I did."

The tears fell in a wave. She let go of his hand and moved to fling her arms around his shoulders with a sob. He held her in silence, though he squeezed her as much as she did him. It was in that second that her mind was made up. She was going to help him. She had the information and she had the methods. She also had the sneakiness to make this work and she already figured it out hours ago. She wanted nothing more than for his family to be reunited and she was going to do everything in her power to make it happen!


	11. The Last Battle

The pair landed on the roof and she swung her yo-yo around something solid behind her. She clasped his forearm and him hers before walking them over the edge of the building toward his windows. "How does it look?" She asked, easily keeping a strong hold as he kneeled and barely peeked into his room.

His cat eyes darted around, finding nothing out of place. "At least my room hasn't been ransacked." He mumbled, finger against his chin. "This is making less and less sense."

She walked them down the glass enough for him to push the top window open and hop inside. She followed him a second later and quickly looked around. "There are only cameras on the outside of the building right?"

"Plus a few in the main, front hall." A small bout of paranoia left him as he took a few steps in and saw everything as he had left it when they began this debacle. "I don't get it. I figured he would have at least given the place a once-over looking for the peacock miraculous... Does he still think we have no idea that it exists or where it is by now?"

She heaved a quiet sigh, tapping the yo-yo against her cheek as her eyes scanned what she could in the dark. "We should count ourselves so lucky that he hasn't...even if I don't get it."

"Can you sense him anywhere nearby? He said last time he sensed you in the house."

She heaved a sigh and put a hand to her head. "You're asking me questions like I know the answers! I don't know what I'm even looking for and this is not the time or place to ask Tikki."

He stopped and turned her way when a thought struck. "How come you and I never sensed each other when we were in the same classroom? Plagg never said a word about it. Did Tikki say anything to you?"

Her eyes rolled. "This is hardly the time to have such a discussion! If you want to know that badly, ask Plagg or Tikki when all this is over. Or better yet, you can talk to Master Fu about all of this when we give him back the stones." She moved around him for the bookcase and hunted around till she found his Romeo and Juliet book. She quickly flipped the cover open and found the stone taped where he had put it last. She sighed in relief that this was at least going according to plan and put it back where it was resting. She slid down the ramp for the front door and turned to it.

She stared at the knob, feeling trepidation and wariness rise. This was it. They were going to end this and there was no looking back. No one was going to leave here tonight and none of them would move forward until things were settled. A sense of finality overcame her and she felt like this really was the last battle they were all going to have. There wouldn't be another such chance, she suddenly knew.

A hand lightly landed on her shoulder and she stifled a shriek. He quickly retracted his fingers with an apologetic grin to her glare. "Sorry...you just seemed so solemn and I couldn't help myself."

Her fists clenched at how he didn't seem to be taking this seriously enough. "Of course I am!" She hissed. A finger came out and roughly pushed his nose and she tried not to use more strength than she wanted to in that second. "You're not being serious enough here Chat!"

He knew playtime was pretty much over, but when had he ever been that serious from start to finish in a fight? "It'll be okay Ladybug. We're the good guys; we always win."

She scowled at his carefree attitude. She gave up and lightly slugged her shoulder before whipping to the door. "I need you to act a little more paranoid for my sake so I'm not the only one feeling like this!" Her hand went to the knob and silently opened it. "Now let's go."

He led the way again, this time much better with the ability to see in the dark. He made sure to keep his fingers securely tucked between hers like last time, but for more jealous need to hold her hand than last time. He easily spotted the cameras and evaded them with no problem. They immediately headed to the top of the huge house and stopped at the door that led them to the pitch black room again. Without letting her move or get a word in, he suddenly brought the hand he was still clutching to the back of his mouth. "For luck." He quickly whispered before she could ask.

Her lips twitched over the adrenaline and rapid beating of her heart. "I don't need luck. I am luck." She let go of his fingers and kicked the door open. "Gabriel Agreste! Your time as Butterfly is up!"

"How has my son been since you kidnapped him, Ladybug?"

His eyes widened. THAT was the voice of his father! "Adrien is in better company than he has been around here." He curtly supplied, hands clenching.

"Ah, there you are..."

He startled, eyes flying open. His eyes darted to her, finding her just as panicked as he was. "Yes, Chat Noir is here to help his lady."

"Please Adrien...don't you think you weren't making yourself so obvious the last time you played superhero in this house?"

He readied to a battle stance before he could answer. Every vein was thrumming with a sense of danger and paranoia. This was turning into a horrible start! "Nice to know you worried over your own son who went missing for an entire day! We thought you would have tried something to find me." He almost growled, letting the hurt enter his voice.

"I will be the one to control my own actions, not you. I also had a business to run you know...or have you forgotten that? And there are still things to settle; I knew you'd be back. I also knew if Ladybug took you away that she would take good care of you in my absence."

His eyes narrowed. "And just what makes you think that was the case?"

"You weren't there to see how she looked at the pictures of you downstairs in my office. I knew long ago that she was far more attached to you than you were aware."

Her jaw clenched at how much she gave herself away that day with a little fumbling for words. She had tried to play herself off and only ended up incriminating herself further! "At least someone cares for him like he deserves!" She retorted. A finger whipped out. "Give me your miraculous stone and I swear to you that I will help you with what you want. Let's do this the right way."

"I couldn't agree more. Nooro, transform me!" A glow suddenly took place. Dozens of butterflies appeared from nowhere and floated around Gabriel's body before dispersing and flying about the room. "We'll definitely do this the right way...by you both giving up your miraculous stones to me!"

He shuffled to her, never keeping wary eyes off his father. "I don't know why you're suddenly talking about helping my father, but I hope you share what's in your head with me..." He muttered, not liking this new change of events.

"If this goes according to what I hope, I won't have to tell you." Her eyes narrowed as Butterfly just stood there. "Why aren't you doing anything to attack us, Butterfly? Are you scared that I'll purify your attempts like all those other times?"

Gabriel smiled and merely switched hands with his walking stick. "I send out my butterflies for long-ranged attacks Ladybug. I don't need them here."

But he sent one out last time to Adrien! Why didn't he plan on doing so this time? Her brain whirled, feeling like there was a second set of words behind his original ones.

"Then that means all we have to do is get that miraculous off your necktie then?"

Her eyes suddenly flew open to their true meaning when her partner jumped headlong into battle. "Chat, no!" In a second, her yo-yo was around his torso as he almost decimated the entire distance between his father. His hand had reached out, just as Gabriel's did...a knowing smile on his face... She was practically shaking as she quickly dragged him back. She fell to her knees and the yo-yo slackened immediately.

He stepped from it and took a second to bare his back to their enemy for her reaction. The fact that she was trying to catch her breath and was shaking so noticeably in the dark had him somewhat concerned. "Why did you stop me, Ladybug? He has no defense and no offense! No one is here to help him fight! What was he going to do, hit me with his stick?"

She wanted to hit him! Watery eyes glared at him in his foolishness. She took him aback and rightly so; had he thought of what she had, he may have been more careful! "We can't get near him! He's right; he only uses butterflies for long-ranged attacks. If we go to him, he won't need to send butterflies to us; he can turn us by touching us! He can even use our weapons against us because the akuma always embeds itself in an inanimate object."

His eyes narrowed, teeth gritting as he mentally cursed his own stupidity. He grabbed his staff from his back and whipped to his father, who was still standing there as if nothing were going on. Suddenly, it all made sense. Why would their enemy need to run to them when all he had to do was touch them and turn them to his side? Butterfly was just waiting for an opening and he just about gave him a huge one! No wonder he did nothing to try and antagonize them earlier today! He didn't need to; he knew they would come to him and Butterfly merely being in this room with only one exit was enough to trap them in itself!

"Well...I suppose we need to make this quick then." He grit out, jaw clenching. Things had become way more complicated and intense than he ever thought possible. How were they going to get the miraculous away from someone they couldn't even get near?!

A flick of her finger told her yo-yo to spin itself back up. She clenched it and inched to his side this time. "We have to think here! I have a plan, but you're probably not going to like it."

He gave her a grin and a quick, sly look. "That's why you're the brains and I'm the handsome brawn of this outfit. Whatever you need me to do, my lady. I'm actually quite fine with rushing head-first into battle, you know. You're the only one who can stop me; you always were. You've always been the end means to stop everything we fight. I'm inconsequential here. All I do is set things up for destruction; you're the one who can only create something good from evil."

That didn't mean she had to like what she was about to tell him! But, this was the fastest way to end this, and probably the simplest too. She heaved a sigh and leaned to his ear, eyes on his father. A sense of trepidation was running through her so much and she so wanted to scrap this whole thing, but they were here and there wasn't another chance.

It was hard to concentrate with her breath tickling his ear and lightly brushing his hair. The fact that she was gently rubbing it when she spoke into it made concentrating extra difficult. One of these days, maybe he'd just transform to play a real cat and let her pet his head for a while. That mental image alone just caused his mind to almost entirely derail from the danger at hand.

"Got all that? You can't mess this up! Neither of us can." She hissed, putting a hand on his shoulder as she leaned away.

He struggled to recall exactly what she said. He gave a sheepish smile when she looked expectant and then quickly annoyed when it was apparent he hadn't listened. "Stay away from his hands. Got it."

She looked put out that he hadn't listened at all, but readied her yo-yo. "I suppose that'll have to do. Go!"

That one syllable had him springing forward with both hands on his staff. He made a beeline for his father and calculated the distance as he slid just under the hands reaching out to grab him. His staff went out and harshly knocked Butterfly's wrists away before twirling around and going for a leg. He swung one into the air and watched his father flail to keep his balance. Butterfly remained righted and twirled toward him, hands extended, a cruel smile on his face.

It was tricky and the risk was huge. All Butterfly had to do was touch his staff and he would do whatever their enemy wanted. If he managed to drop his staff in time, he would be out a much needed weapon. His fists would prove even worse because one touch, even a flick of a finger, would be his downfall. He would lose his mind and his ability to think and fight Ladybug, which he never wanted to do. His father knew who he was and could turn him in a second to give up his ring. He would be powerless and incapacitated in the fight. He would be a worse liability to her because she would have to protect him as Adrien, get back his miraculous, and beat his father for him. But, as she was the only one who could purify any evil, he had to go and stay his father's hands so she could get the miraculous. If she could steal away Butterfly's power, he would most likely transform back as well.

Now it was her turn. She threw out her yo-yo and ensnared Butterfly's torso and most of his forearms to keep him from easily grabbing the line. He still had the option to and that's why Chat was in front of his father. She kept the line tight around Butterfly's torso and started for him, yo-yo retracting as she ran for them.

"Ah, ah, ah father!" He harshly grabbed his father's wrists when Butterfly made to go for the line. "Tut, tut. We can't have you ruining my lady's plan now, can we?" He grit out, trying to keep his strength above his father's. The suits' powers gave their grappling a more level playing field, but Butterfly was taller and that was his advantage.

Butterfly turned a glare his way and struggled against the super strength with his own miraculous. "Don't think you'll be able to best me, Adrien! I'll bring you over to my side and you and I will get Ladybug's miraculous! Then you'll give me yours and I'll do what I've wanted to for a while now!"

"That's all in the calculations." He muttered, jaw clenching as he tried to keep his grip. "I'm not as important as Ladybug is. I don't mind if you try to turn me evil because I've been there before because of you. Don't think I've forgotten it either!"

"Then give in and help your father!" Gabriel retorted, twisting his wrists again.

"As if I'll let it happen!" She harshly butt in, hand extended.

A sense of panic went over Butterfly's features as her hand neared. His struggles increased and instead of going for Chat, he made an attempt to move to Ladybug. "Your miraculous stones are mine!" He yelled, anger and desperation in his voice.

Her teeth grit. She could sense it quite clearly, could see written it on Butterfly's face. The self-hatred, the guilt, the loss of love. Her hand grasped the butterfly miraculous and yanked as she jumped above and around the pair. She listened to Gabriel's cry of anguish as he transformed back to his normal self. She felt him struggle against the yo-yo still around him and quickly turned to him. She held up the miraculous for him to see and watched Nooro fly out from it. "You're free from evil intent, Nooro. Your master will no longer control you."

"Does this mean I'm not going to get turned evil after all?"

She gave him a dry look, smile threatening to form. "I would have taken care of you if that was the case, kitty."

"Give it back! It's mine! I found it!"

"You stole it from the Guardian." She harshly corrected, stopping above him. She looked down in the poor light streaming in from the window and the flying butterflies, and gave him a look of pity. "I heard everything that happened to you from the Grand Guardian, Mr. Agreste. Your methods were wrong, but I understand why you did this. You wanted happiness for yourself and your son. I don't fault you for what you tried to do, but this miraculous will go back to the Grand Guardian."

Gabriel struggled and tried to stand, but Chat easily kept him from fully getting to his feet now that Gabriel was merely human. "You know nothing of what happened! It's my fault! That's why I need absolute power! I must bring her back and tell her I'm sorry! What good is absolute power if you can't bring back the one you love?!"

She gave him a pitiful look, but nodded. "I don't understand your feelings, but I said before that I'd swear to help you. I still hold myself to that oath. I talked to Master Fu about it and there is something I can do to help you...but not in the way that you're thinking. There are things you don't understand which you can't accomplish. You need help and that's where I step in."

He quickly stood and turned to her at those words. In the suspense, he had forgotten about her earlier sentence of helping his father. A sense of wariness entered him and he didn't like it one bit. "Ladybug...what are you talking about?! You can't bring the dead to life! As much...as much as I'd love to see my mother again, it's impossible!"

She quietly retracted her yo-yo and put her free hand against his cheek, giving him a somewhat sad look. "I said before to never give up hope. I also told you that I wanted to help you in any way that I could. I figured out how, but I didn't want to say anything if this never came about. I didn't want to give you false hope. What I thought of is now here and I can do everything in my power to give you what you so desperately wish for."

A chill crawled up his spine at her cryptic words. He suddenly grasped her hands and squeezed, eyes wide. Her hands abruptly twisted and wrapped around his, holding them gently. "I don't know what you think you're going to do, but you have to go through me to achieve it!" His heart raced, wide eyes darting around the resolution on her face. "I won't let you! Whatever it is, we have no idea about it and it's just too dangerous!"

She gave him the sweetest smile he had probably ever seen, tears lining her eyes. "That night when I placed my full trust in you was the day that I truly felt whole. I trust you, so trust in me just the same."

Without giving him a second to respond, to think of what she could possibly do, her fingers twitched and then she was sliding his ring off. She jumped away in an instant, far out of his reach, before he could go for it and had it slid on one of her fingers. "NO!" His hand went out, even as his transformation back to Adrien blinded the room. "Stop! I don't want this if something is going to happen to you!"

"I love you. I want to give you the one thing that you've been looking forward to for so long now."

Tears streaked down his face as he took off running to her. Panic had launched him faster than he ever thought possible, even though his limbs were shaking. "Ladybug!"

"Plagg, Tikki, transform me."

A burst of colorful light pushed him off his feet and he landed heavily on the ground. It swirled around her as she floated off the ground and was enveloped in quicker burst of light. He tried to watch, but the sheer brightness made his eyes squeeze shut and put a hand in her way to keep from blinding him. He strained against the ever-present, glowing wind that whirled around her, never getting any closer to stop her.

When the transformation was finished, she merely floated there in silence. She never moved and her eyes were closed. He stared in terrific awe at the blending of their powers and the new suit it had given her. Gone were most of the red spots, to be replaced with mostly black from Chat. Cat ears were on her head and a real, black tail twitching behind her. The biggest difference was the pair of actual ladybug wings that opened up and started flapping idly. A pair of real, thin antennae popped up and moved with the wind.

He stared at absolute power, but all he felt was dread. "T – take that ring off and return to your usual form Ladybug!" He ordered, fists clenching. It was hard to breathe properly and he was barely able to stand. "I don't want anything to happen to you just for my sake!"

" **It** **is** **my** **own** **selfish** **wish** **to** **give** **you** **one** **last** **bit** **of** **real happiness** **before** **this** **is** **all** **over** **with** **Adrien** **Agreste...** **"**

Her tender voice quietly echoed around the room, but not Marinette's actual voice. It was some twist of hers, Plagg's, and Tikki's. It bounced off the moving light going around her hovering form as if it had a life of its own. Her eyes finally peeked open and blue, slitted cat eyes looked down at him. She wore no expression for the longest time before a gentle smile tipped her lips. He was vaguely aware that he was slowly shaking his head as he stared at her.

She stared at him and thought back on the conversation with Master Fu from that night she revealed who she was to Adrien.

" _I_ _want_ _to_ _use_ _the_ _stones_ _to_ _bring_ _back_ _Adrien's_ _mother._ _She_ _didn't_ _deserve_ _to_ _die_ _like_ _she_ _did_ _and_ _Adrien_ _didn't_ _deserve_ _to_ _lose_ _her!"_

" _You're_ _correct_ _on_ _all_ _accounts_ _but_ _one_ _Ladybug._ _You_ _can't_ _bring_ _back_ _the_ _dead_ _to_ _the_ _living._ _In_ _Taoist_ _belief,_ _there_ _are_ _three_ _souls:_ _the_ _mental_ _soul_ _of_ _one's_ _mind,_ _the_ _physical_ _soul_ _of_ _one's_ _body,_ _and_ _the_ _celestial_ _soul_ _of_ _one's_ _spirit._ _Once_ _her_ _physical_ _soul_ _perished,_ _her_ _celestial_ _and_ _mental_ _souls_ _went_ _to_ _the_ _Yin_ _world_ _to_ _live_ _for_ _now._ _She_ _will_ _come_ _back_ _in_ _her_ _own_ _time_ _to_ _our_ _Yang_ _world."_

" _Can_ _I_ _bring_ _back_ _her_ _spirit_ _to_ _Adrien_ _and_ _his_ _father?"_

" _Only_ _if_ _you_ _are_ _strong_ _enough_ _to_ _do_ _so,_ _but_ _she_ _can't_ _remain_ _here_ _for_ _long..."_

Any time was better than no time and that's what she was hoping for. She wished she could bring his mother back for good, but since it seemed out of her abilities, she was hoping he could be content with just this. She didn't know how strong one had to be in order to do this, but she was going to give every ounce she possessed so Adrien had even a few moments with her!

She ignored his continual pleads to stop and remembered Fu's teachings. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she chanted a few unintelligible words. She kept chanting and the glowing wind around her picked up, the roar becoming much louder as she kept speaking. At length, it expanded around her and encompassed the three of them as if in the eye of a storm.

Once the wind had encompassed most of the room, her suddenly head flopped over, eyes still back, mouth gaping open. She looked dead and he swore his heart stopped. He gave a despairing cry, hand reaching for her...legs unable to move with as much as they were shaking. He tried to take a step toward her and collapsed to the ground, tears pouring from him. The wind that had enveloped them at the start suddenly quieted as if it never existed in the first place.

" _Adrien,_ _dear...are_ _you_ _alright?_ _"_

A new voice, one he had heard only in his dreams, came to his ears and his eyes widened drastically. His head shot up at the sound of his father's gasp and he locked eyes with a semi-solid, wispy form of his mother. He inhaled a shaky breath and unsteadily got to his feet, slowly reaching out to grasp his mother's extended hand. "M...m – mother..." He breathed, heart fluttering, eyes impossibly wide.

She gave him a sad look through a gentle smile. _"I've_ _missed_ _you_ _Adrien."_ Thin fingers lightly squeezed his as she looked to Marinette for a second before locking eyes with him again. _"She_ _found_ _me_ _and_ _told_ _me_ _of_ _how_ _sad_ _you_ _were._ _She_ _said_ _that_ _this_ _was_ _my_ _only_ _chance_ _to_ _say_ _anything_ _that_ _I_ _had_ _missed the opportunity to_ _say_ _to_ _you_ _both_ _in_ _this_ _world._ _I_ _couldn't_ _refuse_ _such_ _an_ _offer."_

His arms flung around her in a second and he was even happier that he didn't pass through her apparition. She hugged him back and gently stroked his hair. Tears poured from him from at that action, releasing all the pent-up feelings toward her which he had been keeping hold of in the dark corner of his mind. Longing, sadness, anxiety, love. They poured from him through his eyes and the tightness of his muscles as he clutched at her. "Mother...mother...mother!"

Gabriel's wide eyes met his wife's, mouth dropping open a little. A hand extended as he inched to his feet. "Y...you're..."

A wispy hand reached for him as well, the other patting her son's head. _"I'm_ _sorry_ _I_ _made_ _you_ _go_ _through_ _such_ _hard_ _times_ _my_ _love._ _Please,_ _stop_ _blaming_ _yourself_ _for_ _my_ _mistake."_

"It was my fault you were killed! I'll never stop hating myself for that day!"

Sad eyes closed with a shake of her head. _"I_ _can't_ _stop_ _you_ _from_ _doing_ _so_ _when_ _I'm_ _so_ _far_ _away,_ _but_ _please...please_ _don't_ _take_ _it_ _out_ _on_ _our_ _son_ _any_ _longer..._ _I_ _heard_ _things_ _concerning_ _him_ _that_ _sadden_ _me_ _greatly..._ _Why_ _must_ _you_ _make_ _him_ _so_ _gloomy?"_

He met her gaze, mouth opening. He wondered what Marinette had said when she found his mother and hoped she didn't paint his father in too harsh a light. The circumstances that took her away were probably fate, just like what brought her back. His father was not in the wrong here. He loved his father, despite the years of treatment, and didn't despise him for that. What did he say other than it was apparent that he missed her? Of course he did! He loved his mother! The hand patting his head shifted and stroked a cheek in the lightest of touches. It felt like fog rolling across him, but the sense of his mother's fingers was there and he intently focused on that. There was no warmth to her, merely a damp coolness due to the form she was currently taking.

" _There_ _is_ _no_ _need_ _to_ _hide_ _yourself_ _Adrien._ _She_ _told_ _me_ _everything;_ _how_ _you_ _longed_ _to_ _see_ _me_ _again. Her words about your current life pained me so much._ _I_ _wanted_ _to_ _give_ _you_ _just_ _a_ _little_ _more_ _time_ _with_ _me,_ _even_ _if_ _I_ _can't_ _stay."_

His heart clenched, but he knew she was right. She had no physical form...how could she survive when her face kept shifting like clouds rapidly moving in the sky? He buried his face in her again, not caring if he could barely feel her now. "I'm happy that you came. Even for a moment, I wanted to see you again!"

There was a gentle pat to his shoulder and he slowly, regrettably untangled himself from her. He took a step away and watched as she went to his father and put a hand to his cheek. He watched his father transform from a hard, uncaring man to a defeated, lonely one. He had never seen tears in his father's eyes in his entire life until now. Not even when he was told by his father that his mother had disappeared. It was a shock to see them now and to see how human his father was; how he had forgotten that his father was human. He suddenly realized that his father had closed himself off to such an extent because of his guilt and self-loathing and it was the only way he could still survive each day.

Gabriel embraced his wife. The kiss she barely placed to his lips was bittersweet. The words of love she spoke pierced him. "I wish you didn't have to go. Why can't you stay with us? Absolute power brought you back! Why can't it keep you here?!"

" _Absolute_ _power_ _did_ _bring_ _me_ _back,_ _you_ _are_ _correct._ _But_ _it_ _is_ _using_ _the_ _life_ _force_ _of_ _this_ _brave_ _girl_ _to_ _keep_ _me_ _here._ _I_ _have_ _no_ _more_ _physical_ _body_ _to_ _provide_ _my_ _spirit_ _with_ _a_ _place_ _to_ _stay_ _right_ _now. She's allowing me to connect to hers through her powers. We are currently trading; I am here using her body while she's waiting for me in the Yin World. This is unfair to her and I_ _simply_ _can't_ _stay._ _I_ _have_ _used_ _too_ _much_ _of_ _her_ _kindness_ _as_ _it_ _is_ _to_ _be_ _with_ _you_ _two_ _for_ _even_ _this_ _long._ _Please_ _learn_ _from_ _this_ _time_ _and_ _be_ _happier_ _than_ _you_ _have_ _been_ _since_ _that_ _time._ _Do_ _it_ _for_ _my_ _sake._ _Do_ _it_ _for_ _our_ _son's."_

His veins ran cold at her words. Using the life force of Marinette?! How was that possible? He didn't know, but he was scared of what would happen to her if any more time passed! For the first time since his mother returned, he took his eyes off her for his other love. Her posture hadn't changed, but she looked noticeably paler. Not that she wasn't pale on a normal basis, but this was causing him serious concern!

He quickly turned to his mother when a rush of wind burst through his ears like before she arrived. It was only silent when her spirit appeared. She was leaving; he could feel it. Every harrowing emotion screamed at him that she was really going to leave forever this time. He would only see her in pictures after this. His hand reached out and grasped her arm, but his fingers went right through her...leaving his skin cold and damp like touching fog. "Mother!" His brows furrowed upward, body shaking. There was so much he wanted to say! What did he want to really tell her with these last, few precious seconds?! "I love you so much! I miss you!"

Her sweet smile greeted him as the wisp threatened to break apart. _"I_ _love_ _you_ _too,_ _Adrien._ _I_ _will_ _always_ _love_ _you_ _my_ _son._ _Thank_ _this_ _young_ _girl_ _for_ _me_ _if_ _she awakes."_

IF?! His heart stilled from that foreboding information as he watched the image of his mother suddenly disperse as if she were merely a rain cloud finishing with a shower. His legs gave out as such a whirlwind of emotion assaulted him and he looked to his shaking hands. He barely heard the cries of his father, the sad words of her to come back, or the promises that things would change as she wished.

"Marinette..." He breathed, heart clenching. His vision jerked to her as the winds drastically quieted themselves. He struggled to his feet as her eyes sluggishly rolled forward and her lids fluttered closed. Her flopped stance never righted itself. He watched the shifting, colored wind quickly shrink back from them to merely around her. It narrowed until it engulfed her and exploded in a flash, making it hard to see her for a second. Then all was dim again, save for the poor moonlight pouring in.

In the darkness, he heard a muted thump of her body landing on the ground near him.


	12. Stay with Me

There was a long heartbeat of silence in the room as his eyes adjusted to the near lack of light. No one spoke, no one moved, no one breathed. His body was stone, veins cold. His eyes finally widened when the seconds ticked by and there was no movement across the way. "L..." He couldn't find his voice for the stark terror engulfing him. No! Not again! He didn't want to lose anyone else he loved ever again! "LADYBUG!" He was vaguely aware of trying to move and his legs giving out. He tried to get up, only to fail, and thus frantically crawled the rest of the way to her. "Ladybug! Ladybug!" He stopped upon her stillness, tears lining his cheeks like a raging river. He sat on his legs to give his hands freedom to touch her, but they only hovered over her limbs, trembling wildly. He didn't know if it was a good idea to move her...

The air left him in a whoosh as Plagg and Tikki suddenly appeared next to her form. Plagg looked more wiped out than he had ever seen his kwami. It suddenly dawned on him that Marinette had used whatever major power she was granted with both of their miraculous stones and had transformed back.

"I'm so exhausted! Why did she have to go and do that?!"

"How is she Chat Noir?"

"Sh – she's...not moving..." He brokenly mumbled to Tikki. His hands tried to support him next to her head as he leaned forward to look at her closed lids.

" _It_ _is_ _my_ _own_ _selfish_ _wish_ _to_ _give_ _you_ _one_ _last_ _bit_ _of_ _happiness_ _before_ _this_ _is_ _all_ _over_ _with_ _Adrien_ _Agreste..."_

His teeth grit. His head lowered to her chest, eyes burrowing in the crook of her neck. "You didn't give me...anything but sadness..." He grit out, hands clenched. "What am I supposed to do...if I lose you too?!"

"Is she alive?"

That voice, the whole reason they were here, ran raw down his nerves and he whirled in his stance over her to face his father. He hovered over her, covering most of her body with his as if to protect her, not wanting his father to get any closer to her than where he was now. He openly glared at the one person who may have just ruined his life all over again. "Stay away from her! If you come any closer, I'll transform and kick your butt!"

Even though Plagg looked in no shape to do so...even though his ring wasn't even on his finger...

A hand rose, but only to ward off his words. "There's no need for that Adrien... I have no desire to go after her anymore..."

There was a sense of resigned resolution in that last statement, but it only took the smallest of edges off his pain right now. "Stay there where I can see you! If you move, I swear on all my love for her that I'll report you to the police and give up your evil identity! The butterfly miraculous alone should be proof of it!"

"There's no need, I said. She kept her word; she brought your mother back. I am now in her debt."

His eyes narrowed and he stared for the longest time, his muscles screaming at him after a moment. He refused to look away from his father in his paranoia, even if he was all too aware that she still hadn't moved under him.

"We need to take her to the Grand Guardian. He'll be able to help bring her back. Her spirit was in the Yin world too long. She doesn't have that kind of strength for what she tried to do with your mother's spirit."

He looked to Tikki's weakly glowing figure and nodded. "Hop on, both of you." He gently moved her arms to rest on her stomach and wound an arm under her neck and knees. He stood, ordering his legs to stop shaking, and turned to face his father. Gabriel stood there, looking at a more broken man than he had ever seen. Gone was the stoic facade; he finally felt like his father might have actually returned to him. That would be something he would have to deal with later after all of this was figured out first though. His eyes narrowed, hands tightly clutching her to him. "Don't try to follow me. Don't look for me until I come back home of my own will."

"Do what you need to Adrien. I also must take some time to myself to think of a few things..."

He hurried around his father for the door and kicked it open. He only spared the barest of glances as he left, not wanting to waste any more time on the man who reduced Marinette to this.

There was no way he could run through the streets of Paris with her in his arms like this, even at night. He had to transform to get there subtly and quickly! He hurried to his room and gently laid her on his bed, sadly noting how she still hadn't moved. His jaw clenched as he stared and he forced himself to think as she would. She was the smarter one of the two of them; not him! His heart was making it difficult to create any rational plan here and time was of the essence! "Plagg, I need you to eat as much cheese as fast as you can in five minutes!" He picked his kwami up and opened a stash he had at his desk before unceremoniously dumping the cat inside with a disdained cry.

That done, he hurried up to the upper level to his bookshelf. He quickly found the Romeo and Juliet book, feeling more annoyed that he had picked this story with such an ending, and yanked the peacock miraculous from its spot. He hurried back down the stairs and grabbed his school bag. He put the stones inside for safe travel before stopping at his bed to give Plagg a little more time. "How is she, Tikki?" He gently grasped one her her hands in his and was saddened when it never twitched. He gripped it and harshly swallowed.

"Still the same..." Tikki solemnly replied. She sat on Marinette's chest, which was at least rising.

Barely.

His head fell onto her arm, never letting go of her hand. "If I had known you were going to do something so stupid that would put your precious life in jeopardy, I would have never ever let you do this! I would have made myself the sacrifice and used my own life to bring my mother back! She's part of my family; you're not! This had nothing to do with you! I never wanted you to risk your life for something like that! My mother wasn't worth this!"

"She was only thinking of you, Adrien." Tikki responded, brow furrowing. "She had a long, secret talk with Master Fu the night you were there about how she could do so without losing her life. He gave her explicit instructions and warnings. That's why we have to go to him to heal her; he'll already know what's wrong with her."

Tears fell. He didn't know if he wanted to beat up the Guardian or yell at her or hug the daylights out of her once she woke up and was safe. He really wanted to do all three all at once! The most important thing he cared about though was that she would live through this foolish decision. He remained there, kneeling in front of his own bed, an emotional mess for what felt like forever. The next step that he had to take screamed through his conflict and he eventually pulled away to look to his desk. "Plagg!"

"I'm almost done."

"Almost is good enough." He grasped the hand wearing his ring and put it back on his right ring finger. He transformed in an instant and cradled her against his chest the same way, but feeling like she would break even more against his miraculous strength. He buried his face in her soft hair and held her tightly for only a moment, mentally chanting that she was going to be okay and using her scent to steady himself. He snatched his schoolbag off his desk before jumping to the window that was still open and heading outside. He bounded to the roof and took off at top speed, getting directions from Tikki as they went. How ironic that both times he was going to visit the Guardian and he was so mentally distraught that he still had no idea where the place was!

Not caring what time it was and hoping Master Fu was ready for them, he finagled the door handle with the hand trying to keep her legs up and wedged the door open with his foot. Sitting in the center of the mattress on the floor, a gong resting near him, was their Guardian. He didn't say a word as she was put on the mat in front of him, expectant, green cat eyes staring holes through him. Master Fu merely picked up a wrist and was silent for a moment as he felt for her pulse. His hands floated to her face, palms almost touching her. They slowly moved down the line of her chest and paused over her heart.

His eyes kept repeatedly darting from her to Master Fu and back. His tail twitched a few times in agitation, claws almost ready to rip into his suit they were clenched so tightly. He almost felt himself leaning in as he watched, having absolutely no idea what was going on or how hands over Marinette was supposed to make her feel better. He wanted to throttle the old man and get answers and reassurances that she would be okay...that his desire for being a family again didn't just cost him his true love. The guilt would kill him for the rest of his life and an ironic thought to his father's previous condition rose through his brain. This must have been how he felt for so long...

"She will be healed Chat Noir. Your looking at me like that isn't going to speed up such a delicate procedure any faster though."

He twitched and sat back. It lasted all of a second before he leaned forward again with a hopeful, relieved smile. "Really?! Oh, thank you so much Master Fu!" He felt his eyes tear behind his mask. His head bowed as the first trace of relief formed in quite a long time. A layer of unease was ripped from him at those words and disappeared and it showed in his exhale. The adrenaline let down in his system and he almost wanted to collapse from it.

"But, you're energy is not helping me to bring her back any faster. You have two choices; leave this room or calm yourself in a corner far away from this mattress."

As if he was going to let her out of his sight right now! He scurried to the corner so much like a cat and kept avid, almost unblinking eyes on her. He could tell when the color finally started coming back to her face and his heart swelled at seeing the change. The gong near Master Fu banged so many times and it hurt his ears, but all he could do was tell himself it was to help her get better...somehow...

He wanted to cry tears of joy when she first stirred. Her fingertips twitched and a few, weak noises escaped her. Her lids fluttered as if unable to be used, but deep blue eventually peeked through. She was like a newborn baby figuring out that she had appendages to use. He wanted to go to her, to call her name and hold her hand in his, but Master Fu was still working and he almost had to physically restrain himself from leaving the corner he was 'confined' to.

His eagerness to go to her kept mounting as her legs moved a little, arms trying to raise. Her mouth opened and a long inhale and exhale, as if gasping for breath, sounded in the quiet. Master Fu finally put the gong away and hovered his palms over her again as her limbs woke up even more. He watched the elderly man's brow furrow in a sense of deep concentration as she kept attempting to move.

After what seemed forever, their eyes locked and Master Fu smiled his way. "You may now approach her Chat Noir. She is well enough to handle your energies right now."

In a second, he had bounded across the space and found glassy eyes looking his way. "Marinette!" His hands cupped her cheeks and he realized he may cut her with his claws. He undid his transformation in a second and leaned over her enough to put his forehead to hers. "Marinette...Marinette!" Tears of relief poured from him like a pitcher emptying all its contents. He shook mercilessly as his emotions for her ransacked his heart and left it wide open. She was alive...she was awake!

"A...dri...en...?" She breathed, trying to see him. Hot water splashed on her face and it brought her attention a little more. "Where...am...I?"

"I...I brought you...to...Master Fu's..." He managed, barely able to put words together.

"Is...it over? Did you...see her?"

Her hand lightly touched his arm with the barest of pressure and it only reminded him again how close he was to losing her...how fragile she could be despite how strong she always appeared. This was not the first time he thought she had died before his very eyes due to some plan she had concocted to save the day. This time was much harsher than the time he thought she had been eaten alive, but it was no less graphic on his poor psyche.

Something in him snapped at her words. Yet again she was thinking of him and not of herself and the horrific danger she was just in. "Don't you ever...ever do anything...so stupid like that...ever again!" He sobbed, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them a little. He met her wide eyes with his anguished ones, barely feeling happy that she was staring at him right now. "I never wanted to see my mother again for the sake of your own safety! I thought you died! You took forever to wake up! I didn't know what to do; where to go first! If you hadn't transformed back and Tikki told me where to go, you'd still be gone! You -" His voice broke as he clutched her weak form to him as if she would evaporate like his mother did.

She tried to get her arms to move. It was a difficult order with as sluggish as she still was, but one hand eventually rose high enough to lightly grasp the fabric to his shirt. "I...I just wanted...you...to see your mom...again... I knew...how much...you missed her..."

His jaw clenched and his hold tightened. He kicked himself for the chagrined tone in her voice. He knew this was all for him, but that made him feel no less guilty for the act having occurred. "You're more important than she is..." He nearly whispered. "I don't ever want to lose you! I finally found you! I finally managed to tell you how I feel...to know how you feel about me... Don't leave me. You're the only one left..."

Tears lined her eyes at the pleading in his voice. Her mouth opened and it took a lot of willpower to get words to form. "I...just...I just wanted you to talk to your mom again... I know how much you wanted to. I never want to leave you either, Adrien. I'm sorry that such a thing took place. I never meant to scare you. I'm sorry..."

Her apologies and words were like a salve to stop the bleeding of his heart though she had no right to apologize for her actions. His hold loosened a little and he shifted to let her sit up more comfortably. He eventually pulled away to look at her, eyes darting over her features for what felt like an eternity to tell his mind that she was still here. She didn't go anywhere to where he couldn't follow her. She was still with him and she didn't want to go away either.

At length, she was strong enough to sit up on her own power and turned to face Master Fu. "Thank you for all your help Master Fu. I wouldn't have succeeded in this had it not been for your advice."

"My pleasure Ladybug. Now, as per your earlier words..."

She jolted and turned to him. "The peacock miraculous! Do you have it?" He quickly pulled it out of his bag and handed it over. She also took the butterfly miraculous he had taken from her before he fled for here and gave it back as well. "There you go. Do I have some time to say goodbye at least?" Her brow furrowed upward.

Master Fu nodded. "I can give you a day if you would like, but then I'll be gone after that. Do what you wish until then."

He was getting more confused by the second. His eyes darted between the pair, but he couldn't pick out any clues to her words. "What's going on? A day for what? Why are you saying goodbye?!"

She sighed, looking truly sad, and turned to him. "When I talked to Master Fu last, I offered to return the stones to him in exchange for information on how to bring your mother to you." Her lips briefly pressed together. "ALL...the stones..."

He stared at her, feeling himself still. He felt the cold metal of his ring against his finger as he digested her words. His mouth opened a little, but no sound would come out. "All the stones...?" He dumbly repeated.

She looked away and nodded. "We brought back the butterfly miraculous, and he has his book too. All the stones are here now...save ours. We were only given them in the first place to stop your father. Our mission is done; there's no need for Ladybug and Chat Noir anymore."

"But I don't wanna give up being Chat Noir..." He stubbornly mumbled, somewhat looking for Plagg as he turned away.

She assumed as much. He had never been more alive than after he received the ring. The mask destroyed his perfect image and let him to be who he was never allowed to be in the light of day. Plus, he had power beyond normal people. Being a crime-fighting cat didn't seem like something he wanted to let go of, even though Paris had the police to take care of things.

Her hand rose and lightly cupped his cheek. She drew his face back to hers and he went willingly, though he was openly pouting. She smiled a little. "I can't force you to give up your miraculous Adrien, but I already decided to give up mine. I'm going to go back to just being Marinette soon. I talked to Tikki about it already. I just need to tell her a proper thank you and goodbye for myself. I suggest you do so with Plagg too. Paris doesn't need us anymore."

She was right and he knew this, but that didn't mean he had to like it! The ring had brought him to her and he found her because of it. Sure, they went to the same school and he might have fallen in love with her even if they weren't fighting crime, but fate helped nudge him in the right direction a tad faster.

"Hmm, perhaps you two should head home. It's late and the day will be here faster than you can imagine."

His eyes darted to Master Fu, finding a smile on the man's face. His eyes thoughtfully narrowed, trying to figure out what was going on in the man's head. Was this another test to see if they were worthy to keep their powers? He didn't want to think about such complicated matters right now; all he wanted to do was hold Marinette and know that she was okay.

He sighed and looked to her. There was no use in thinking about it right now and so he resolved to forget it for a bit. "Let's get you home. You need a good night's rest with your kitty near your feet...if I'm so lucky."

She smiled and stood with his help. His arm remained around her torso, hers around his shoulders, as she nodded her head to Master Fu. "Sorry we keep barging in at the worst time in the night. Thank you for all your help; we couldn't have done it without you."

"The thanks is mine to give, Ladybug and Chat Noir."

After all kwami were refilled with food, they transformed and he was hoisting them to the rooftops. He let her get situated before bringing his staff to rest against his back. "Do you really want to give all this up?" He quietly asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She looked to him and gave a sad smile. "In the beginning, I said I wasn't cut out for this. I even tried to give the earrings away. I grew into this situation presented to me, but it's affecting my life as Marinette. I have to lie to my parents, to Alya, and my teachers about my random absences while I'm being Ladybug. It weighs on me sometimes. I don't really want Tikki to go away, but I can't keep holding onto the earrings just because of that."

His mouth closed at her final sentence, planning on suggesting just that. If they kept watch over their stones and still never revealed themselves to anyone, they could go back to being normal middle school kids and just go into hiding until they were needed again. His mouth pursed, still not happy with the idea.

" _I'm_ _really_ _not_ _cut_ _out_ _to_ _be_ _a_ _super_ _heroine."_

" _What_ _are_ _you_ _talking_ _about?_ _That's_ _not_ _true!_ _Pull_ _yourself_ _together._ _Without_ _us_ _they_ _won't_ _make_ _it_ _and_ _we're_ _going_ _to_ _prove_ _it_ _to_ _them._ _Trust_ _me,_ _okay?"_

" _Okay."_

He remembered that day. His partner didn't want to be his partner, even though he just met her. It had saddened him and he didn't want her to go away just because of a little lack of confidence. They were supposed to work as a team, but she had a rockier start than he did. After a few enemies, she had easily shown her colors time and time again that she could be Ladybug.

She suddenly embraced him, catching him by surprise for all of a second before he happily returned it. "Did you manage to say anything to your mother?"

All the feelings at seeing her face, at touching her hand, at hugging her rose to the surface with a vengeance. His hold tightened greatly, his love for her widening. His eyes squeezed shut to try and keep the tears from that moment at bay. "I'll never be able to properly repay you in my entire life for what you did for me tonight..." He murmured, fingers clutching at her hair. "Thank you...thank you...!"

She pulled away from him and sweetly kissed him. He returned it with equal tenderness; perhaps more so. He felt insistent in his need to pay her back in any way he could; words alone were too pathetic to do justice to these feelings of gratitude. His hands shifted and cupped her jaw, trying to keep her there for eternity. She finally pulled away enough to look into his eyes, finding them soft and full of love. "You're welcome. I'd do it again if I could."

At those words, his hands landed harshly on her shoulders before he could stop himself. "Once was enough to make my heart stop! You don't need to test its resilience a second time."

She giggled at the utterly annoyed look on his face and ruffled his hair. "It seems that things went well for you at least. That's good. I'm glad I was able to let you meet your mother again...even if I couldn't really bring her back to you."

His fingers squeezed her small frame, trying not to claw her. "My father and I will be in debt to you for the rest of our lives, my lady. Your cat will follow you to the ends of the world, with or without ears."

She smirked and her fingers reached up to toy an ear at his mention of them. "Well then, does my poor, abused kitty need to spend a night at his lady's feet?" She outright grinned at the way he was so obviously enjoying her ministrations. Laughter threatened to erupt as she watched his eyes struggle to remain open and his head loll to the side she was scratching. "I could give you a good scratch behind the ears for your help tonight...putting you in danger once again and all that..."

He really didn't want to go home to his father yet and her words were making it even less inviting! He wanted to be with her and soothe the pit to his heart that was slowly closing the longer she stood with him and kept doing that. The corners of his mouth twitched, eyes peeking open to take in her amusement. "Well...I DID bring my book bag this time..."

She burst into laughter and grabbed her yo-yo.


	13. Fighting for Love and Power

The dawn was harsh and unforgiving. The sky was a brilliant blue and the sun that streamed in made him wish it was still night. He didn't want to wake up! They snuck in sometime after one and he refused to go to sleep until he got to spend at least some time holding her and kissing her. By the time they drifted off, another hour must have passed. He was paying for those selfish wishes right now.

He gave an annoyed groan and buried his face into something soft that tickled his nose. There was an accompanying groan at his movement and an eye peeked open through a yawn. The yawn paused as he saw her hair mere inches away from his face. His other eye opened and his head craned up to look at her in his position from behind her. He became all too aware of the heat her back produced under the covers with him. The arm around her waist, fingers still lightly entwined with hers, made his heart skip a beat and the breath hitch in his throat.

She looked peaceful and he suddenly wished he had requested to sleep facing her instead of away so he could see her face and fully admire her beauty. Such a hard decision: hold her in his arms all night or get the chance to see her sleeping face early in the morning. A soft smile appeared and his hand gently untangled from hers to stroke the hair above her ears. He pushed a tuft back behind her tiny ears and stared at a miraculous earring. Seeing it broke his good mood a little. He put his arm back around her and looked to the brightening hatch.

He had made his decision last night about what he was going to do this morning and he needed to leave early to get everything accomplished. That and he didn't remember the last time he had been able to shower! It had been the craziest few days and he needed to head home for a change of clothes at least. And...he intended on going to talk to Master Fu before school this morning. He had a feeling the elderly man would be there, perhaps waiting for him. The last comment he made about sending them home had his suspicions raised before they even left; he had a feeling the old man knew his desire before he did.

"Marinette...Marinette...I need to go." He whispered. He received a groan in response, which really made him not want to leave...even if he'd see her in class should she be well enough to attend. He hoped so; he was also going to set that little problem straight today. His hand rose again and gently stroked her cheek. "I need to leave Marinette. I'll see you in school if you feel well enough." His lips descended to her skin and brushed against it. "I hope you can come today because I've got something to talk to you about. Also, I need your help with something."

She gave a few more muted noises, mumbling something incoherent, and making no show of hearing anything he said. He wondered if she could hear him wherever she was dreaming and shrugged it off. If she didn't go to school today, he would enact that plan tomorrow once she felt well enough to walk around. With a regretful sigh, he slowly pulled his other arm out from under her and sat up. He took a second to pause, to do something he knew he wouldn't be able to do for a while. He openly gazed at her innocence, her beauty. The last few days flittered through his head and her level of awesomeness made him want to touch her again. The urge to lay back down and just hold her kept him rooted where he was for what felt the longest time and these plans roaming through his head started becoming less appealing as the seconds ticked by.

He found Plagg sleeping on the round pillow near their heads and picked the cat up. Plagg gave a loud yawn and stretched. "Are we going already? Can't we sleep in a little more?"

His lips twitched. "As much as I'd like to, there are things I need to do today. Important things. Transform me!" There was a blinding flash, and then the same powerful feeling swept over him. He hopped from her bed to the main level of her room and snatched his bag off her desk. In a second, he was back next to her. He stood on the corner of her mattress as Chat Noir and stared at her one last time. "Sweet dreams, my lady. I'll see you later." With longing spearing him already, he pushed the hatch out of his way and jumped through it before returning it to its resting spot.

The morning air was crisp and it smelled great! He took a deep inhale through a stretch. He looked around the city barely awake and hopped to a higher viewpoint. He stared down with his keen vision, wondering how he was ever supposed to give this up. He loved being Chat Noir and he was going to fight to keep it that way! Even if Plagg was somewhat annoying and got on his nerves occasionally, he never wanted to give up his kwami. Plagg was chosen for him and he was chosen for Plagg. He couldn't imagine life without his kwami now. Plus, if he took a step back and observed himself, there were quite a few times he was like Plagg in the way he played tricks and was slightly obnoxious to others.

He bounded over rooftops and stopped at the building again. Thankfully, he remembered how to get there so he could get this done as early as possible. He didn't want to waste any more time on it. A clawed hand reached out and pulled the wooden door open, finding Master Fu having some tea with an extra cup by him.

"Good morning Chat Noir. Would you care to join me?"

He paused only briefly in the doorway before quietly clicking the knob shut and striding over. He sat in front of the low table and watched their Guardian pour him a steaming cup. He stared at it in total seriousness for a while, listening to Master Fu sip his. He wanted to come right out and say it, but he was holding himself back for some unknown reason. Perhaps 'no' weighed more heavily on him than he had thought.

"Are you here to return your miraculous to me?"

His head jerked up, finding Master Fu looking at him over the cup. "No. I'm not here for that." He leaned in a little, eyes blazing his feelings over the table.

"Oh? You just came to join this old man for an early morning cup of tea?"

His eyes narrowed, not in the mood for jokes. "You knew I'd be here." He commented, almost to himself as much to Master Fu. A hand clenched. "You were expecting me. You knew that I still didn't want to give this all up and that I would come to talk to you about it!"

Master Fu's eyes closed with a smile as he finished the rest of the cup. He silently put it back on the table and went for the pot to pour himself another. He was quiet the entire time, not bothering to even look across the table until the pot was back on its resting spot. A hand came up and loosely stroked his beard. "You are correct Chat Noir. This is not the first time such an event has occurred...when the Ladybug and Chat Noir stones were to be given up and Chat Noir refused. Other Ladybugs have also refused in the past, but many have often times been gracious despite their own feelings. They understand the duty and the ending of it all."

"I don't!" He harshly retorted. He looked to his ring with its five toes still glaring up at him. "I don't care about any of those other people before us and their decisions; my decision is to keep the ring! I haven't abused its power and I swear to you that I won't! I also want you to let Ladybug keep her earrings as well. Chat Noir can't beat evil without her."

Master Fu picked up his cup and took a sip. "She gave that condition herself to give them up. Why would you speak for her on a topic which she has already resigned herself to?"

"Because I know that she doesn't really want to! It was only to help me out. She only said those things to get the information she needed so she could figure out how to use absolute power. You needn't worry about that happening a second time because I will never let her do something like that ever again." His brow furrowed upward. "Let her keep being Ladybug. You have the other stones back. These two are in good hands here."

"The Chat Noir and Ladybug stones are the most powerful out of all the miraculous stones. Why are they in good hands after I leave?"

"You gave my mother the peacock miraculous and let her keep it even after she came back home with my father. She should have given it up because you would have been so far away, but you didn't, did you?"

"And your father also stole the butterfly miraculous and my book when they returned here."

"He doesn't care for such power anymore. He got his wish when Ladybug brought my mother back for us to see her again. He even said himself that he's in Ladybug's debt. I am as well and I'll never let my father touch either miraculous!" He didn't add that his father knew he was Chat Noir, but he had a feeling Master Fu may already know...given that his mother died to protect his father while using the peacock miraculous. If Master Fu knew such things, certainly he could make this connection as well.

Master Fu took another sip of his tea despite the atmosphere. "When I leave, I'm going to go far away for quite a while. I need to return the book to its original, safe place. Should either of your kwami get sick again, I won't be around to help. I won't be here for you to get advice from. You two will truly be on your own for a while."

He couldn't help his smile. "Ladybug is smart and Tikki is smarter. Plagg isn't much good for advice, but our kwami will be there to aid us if we need them. They've helped out others before and I bet you weren't there for them at the time."

Master Fu gave an amused noise over his cup. "Drink your tea Chat Noir, before it goes cold. It's much better when it's hot."

The abrupt change in subject had him confused, but he did as told. It was good and he continued till most of the liquid was gone. Nothing was exchanged until he put the cup down and stared across the way in expectation. Master Fu's smile easily greeted him over the table.

"You and Ladybug have shown great promise ever since the beginning. You have proved yourselves many times over in every battle. I have seen you work well together and there is no doubt in my mind that you will do everything you say to keep such powers out of the wrong hands."

The grip on the cup increased, heart starting to race with anticipation. His eyes widened a little on their own. "Does...does that mean that...we can stay this way? At least for a while?"

"Ladybug offered to give up her stones long before I asked for them. I didn't want to give her information on how to bring your mother back from the Yin world because she was inexperienced and it was dangerous. She immediately offered the stones of her own free will after she was done and I accepted her words, but not as a bargain. I have chosen you both to carry the responsibility of being Chat Noir and Ladybug for as long as evil lurks in the shadows. It has always been your choice to accept it. Whether you wish to continue or not will always be your own decisions."

He beamed and jolted to his feet. "Thank you! You won't be sorry...I won't let you down! We won't let you down!"

Master Fu looked up as he put his teacup down. "I know you won't Chat Noir. You have the heart and trust of both the people and of Ladybug, and your actions precede you."

He hurried to the door and whipped back. He gazed upon the elderly man, wondering how long it would be before either of them would see him again...if they would ever see him again. His heart pinged a little in knowing it could be years before they meet again and a somewhat sad smile graced his face. "May you have a good journey Master Fu..."

"And to you Chat Noir."

He rushed from the building, feeling on cloud nine. He easily made his way to the roof and bounded across the area with no real destination in mind. The wind in his hair, the sun in his face, the smells of Paris below...never had such simple things been more amazing to him! The brightest smile split his face as he stopped atop the Eiffel Tower and looked out at the immediate area, seeing and hearing everything quite clearly with feline abilities. He let out a cry of joy that couldn't be kept in any longer and laughed at his streak of luck.

The morning was brightening even more than he ever imagined it would and he reveled in it. He finally found out who Ladybug was, he told her of his love, he received her love in return, they beat Butterfly and returned the missing stones, he got to see his mother, his father might finally start to heal from his past, he was allowed to remain Chat Noir aside Ladybug, and he was going to put a public plan in motion in the next few hours if she was there to help make it happen. That last stroke would make his life even better than it was now only because he would no longer need to hide. Yesterday about killed him and she was obvious in her ache to be near him as well. This would decimate all of their opposition and maybe he could get the teachers to do a seating change.

He doubted Nino would mind if he had to sit next to Alya for the remaining school year...

Laughter at the image of later spilled out from him before he could control it. Life was good! He only wished Marinette were here to enjoy it with him. He wanted to hug her and kiss her and go jumping over rooftops with her, but she needed some well-deserved rest...and he still had to talk to his father.

That thought took down his glee a little, but he wanted to hope things would go well. He remembered his father's last words before leaving and was curious. It was enough to drive him from his perch to finally get to his house and do what he needed to get done.

He came in through the window and made sure his bedroom door was locked. Feeling a little better at a sense of privacy, he looked around his room in the quiet, feeling strange to be here. He hadn't slept in his own bed in two days, but he didn't miss it at all. He stood there as Chat Noir for what felt like forever, merely staring at his things and taking them in as if seeing them anew. He finally released his transformation and let Plagg go for the remaining cheese stash at his desk as he got ready for the day.

It never took long and not even thirty minutes later, he was pulling a new shirt through his arms. He finished drying his hair and looked to his desktop and the smiling face of his mother, eyes tearing a little despite himself. He would forever remember last night and the amazing feat Marinette accomplished for him. It healed him a lot to know that his mother hadn't gone to a place he would never know; she went to a different type of world and would return to this one in her own time. Though she would never be next to him physically, he knew that she did exist, just far, far away...and perhaps she had been thinking of him as much as he had her...

A smile graced his features as he remembered last night, when she really was in that room. He felt like this next plan would start to repay Marinette even a little of what he wanted to do for her throughout his life. He mentally kept his fingers crossed that a good night's rest would rejuvenate her enough for him to see her today. He missed her already and he had only been gone a short while! He wondered if this new neediness would just about kill him when they were apart.

"Adrien? Are you in there?"

He jumped and whipped to the door. He hurried to it at the subdued, muffled voice and unlocked it. He quickly opened it and stood face-to-face with his father on the other side. "Father... You're awake early..." He mumbled, unable to think of anything better to say. It wasn't even that early anymore and really he should be getting ready to head to school soon. Every nerve was strangely on edge, but he couldn't pinpoint why. It was a strange thing to stand in front of his father after knowing that he had been fighting the man as his enemy for so long.

Gabriel strode into the room and absently looked around. "Are you going to school today then? I suppose it's best to get back to normal. There are already prior activities which have been scheduled for later for you, you know."

He blinked, but remembered his piano lessons this afternoon. He frowned and looked to the floor as life and all its planned responsibilities came rushing back. He wanted to spend the afternoon with Marinette! He turned away a little from his father, suddenly wondering if anything would change between them. "Piano. Late afternoon. I remember..."

Gabriel turned. "As for that. I have canceled it for today. There are many things to discuss. I want you to bring Ladybug a message for me." A hand went in his starched jacket and produced an envelope. He passed it over to stunned and confused green eyes. "I will wait for her response should she choose to give it."

He blinked and eyed his father's scrawl with Ladybug's name on the front. His mouth dropped open and he fought the urge to ask what was in it. He'd know soon enough anyway because he fully intended on finding out for himself. Slightly suspicious, narrowed eyes looked to his father. "You're not going to try anything again, are you father?"

A hand rose in between them to cut off any other such words. "Like I said last night, I am in her debt. She did what I was hoping to accomplish, but she did more than I was able. I would never have been to see your mother the way I wanted had she not helped as she did. I won't harm her in any way and she is welcome in this house whenever she wishes."

He felt he could believe his father's words. There was a lack of walls around his father and he sensed this. The usual coldness to Gabriel's eyes and his stance was lacking. The previous bite to his words was gone. It was enough to let him relax a little.

"Finish getting ready Adrien. The cook has your breakfast at the table and Natalie is ready to take you to school."

He had no idea how to feel about this. This was not as it had been, mostly because his father was in his room and talking to him even this much. He stared at the letter, hearing his father head to the door. He whirled to the man, not wanting him to leave for some reason. How often did they converse like this? "Wait!" He met his father's eyes, a little embarrassed at the plead to his voice. "Y – you...won't tell anyone what you know, right?"

"You're my son Adrien. I haven't honored that title very much for a long time, but you needn't worry about anything. I have kept your mother's secret well...as I will yours."

He watched his father walk out the doorway and quietly shut the door behind him. When the click sounded in the silence, he slumped to the floor at the adrenaline let-down, staring at nothing in wide-eyed disbelief...knowing deep down he could believe his father's words on this. Hope and love told him this and he grasped hold of that instinct.

It didn't feel like there had been a leap of progress, but something was blooming there in its own subtle way. He felt like things had been altered enough to allow for change to enter and that alone was enough for now. He didn't know what would happen with them, but a thread of excitement at this new, unknown future suddenly hit him and went through him like lightening as he idly stared at the letter in his hand.

"Does this mean I don't have to hide anymore?"

He looked up to Plagg. A lopsided smile suddenly graced his face as he watched his kwami practically inhale a huge chunk of cheese. "Sadly, there are too many other people here for that to happen. Grab a few extra pieces for the ride and hop in my bag. I just need to grab one more thing before I head to breakfast..."

01010

The entire car ride was full of him wondering if she would show up. His leg wouldn't stop tapping in his unbridled need to know. She was really sleeping soundly when he left her this morning. He kind of wanted her to show up, even if she may not be fully back to normal after such an amazing stunt. He didn't want to wait on this though! But...if she didn't come to class...that just gave him an excuse to go see her... Plus, he now had an important letter that he was dying to know the contents of asap!

He got to school early, but didn't see her outside. He wasn't going to kid himself in pretending that he wasn't let down. It was really hard to hide his disappointment to his other classmates when they passed him and greeted him. He waited around as long as possible in case she was late, but the final bell rang for him to head inside and he sadly obliged. It would have been nice to walk to class together, but Nino took up her spot instead. He listened to his friend talk about his day with only half an ear and that half was partially tuned for her voice all the way up the steps.

He sat in his usual seat, making small talk with Nino and Alya once she entered. He brushed off Chloe with ease and was thankful when she went for her chair across the aisle with only a small amount of complaining. Maybe, he could ask Alya to switch seats with him so he didn't have to worry about Chloe glaring across the way soon. The fewer people to try and pop his bubble, the better.

The teacher was in the middle of attendance of the first class when the door all but abruptly slammed against the walls...showing a very red-faced and huffing Marinette to the classroom. He stared in shock and joy at seeing her looking disheveled and out of breath...and here. He barely heard the fumbling excuses that she had been unwell overnight and ended up oversleeping because of it. His heart was beating so fast, making the blood roar in his ears and his hands tremble.

She was here! He didn't have to wait!

He felt he must have pinned her with the full force of his feelings as she made to pass in front of him. She briefly locked eyes with him and went redder than she already was before ducking her head away. He followed her up the stairs until she was behind him and quietly chatting with Alya as the teacher finished attendance. He could barely contain himself in his glee and the exposed skin on the back of his neck was crawling as if her eyes were on it. Perhaps they were and he was just now realizing the power of her stare.

He felt that he was giving away his eagerness and his anticipation at the amount of times he kept tapping his foot under the desk and the times his fingers drummed on the table. At one point in class, a clack sounded under his chair and he retrieved her stylus for her. When he turned to give it to her, she gave him the most confused, inquisitive look and he knew she had been watching him quite a bit, and had been wondering just what was wrong with him. He merely smiled back, unable to give a better response than that.

Lunch couldn't get here fast enough!

When it did, he didn't wait for the room to shuffle out. He jolted to his feet and turned to her, understandably shocking the daylights out of her and interrupting any conversation with Alya. "Marinette, I need to talk to you real quick!" He grasped her hand and his bag before all but dragging her out of the room. They didn't even get out the door before the chatter started and he let it happen. He needed the talk; that was the start of this after all.

She let herself be dragged into an already empty classroom before taking her hand back. "What's been with you all morning?!" She insisted, arms crossing. He looked so utterly happy about something and his smile was making her want to do so too. She avidly watched him start digging into his bag and her head craned toward it in her curiosity. "What are you doing?"

"Got it! Quick, sign here." He hissed, eying the interior for anyone peeking through the windows.

She looked to the heart cut-out he was holding in her face. She blinked as recognition came back to her and her face flamed. "S – s – sign?! Now? What's the point?!"

"Yes, now. Hurry before anyone finds out!"

He was all but shoving a pencil in her hands. She took it and dumbly signed her name, as she had originally forgotten to do. She gave everything back to him, watching utter joy encompass his features as he stared at her name under the poem. Hands went to her hips as she tried not to glare at him in her annoyance. "Okay, what's the big deal?! You tell me right now what is going on in that head of yours! Why did you keep that? You should have thrown it away! God, it's so embarrassing to see it again! I still can't believe I ever had the guts to send that to you."

He couldn't be any happier than in this moment. He grinned at her and easily laughed through the height of his mood. "But I already threw mine away. I couldn't let the cycle continue." He grabbed his bag and started walking backward, still facing her. He pushed the door all the way open and stood in the hallway, knowing a few people would be around. He was actually keeping his fingers crossed that some of his classmates were being nosy right now. "Why would I throw away such poetic and romantic words of love? No one has ever written me such touching sentiments in my entire life! You have no idea how much they mean to me."

Was he being this loud on purpose? She was highly confused, but still flattered. She headed after him until she was standing in the doorway, a smile and flush on her face. "Okay, I admit that I found your poem in the trash and wrote that in response to you for Valentine's Day. I mailed it to you, but I didn't think you would have found it amongst the stack. I bet that you had a mountain of others to shuffle through. Why are you bringing it up now? I thought you forgot all about it already. It's been a while since that day."

"Yea, there were a bunch of letters, but I happened upon yours and was besides myself when I saw your name at the bottom right here." He reached out and tugged her to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. His eyes narrowed playfully at the utter shock which engulfed her features. "I couldn't believe my luck."

"What are you doing?!" She hissed, looking around wildly, face a tomato.

He took a few steps toward the center courtyard, making sure more people could see them from above. "Had I known that you felt as strongly for me as I did for you, I would have made it a point to find you sooner." His eyes softened, his arm unwinding from her back to cup her face with his hands. "I'm sorry that it took so long for me to find the time to tell you this..."

She blinked, face heating like the sun and her heart skipping a few beats. "T – tell me...what?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I love you."

His lips were suddenly over hers in a chaste kiss. They stayed that way for only a second before an utter screech of anger erupted down in the courtyard. They whipped to it and weren't surprised to find it coming from Chloe. She looked on as Chloe loudly went on and on about how Adrien was in love with HER and that Marinette must have done something horrible to him to turn him away. She suddenly tuned in to Alya's defense of how much SHE had liked Adrien and for how long and felt her ears go red at the verbal battle below.

He wanted to start laughing at it all. Oh, this was the greatest! The best one to snoop in their business would be the one to tell everyone else and save him the time. He grinned to the lower level and waved the heart poem at Chloe. "Sorry Chloe. You never had a chance." He gaily announced, not disturbed when she dramatically gasped and ran for the exit as if he had really broken her heart.

She could only look down at some of her classmates giving them wide eyes and open mouths. Her eyes suddenly widened when she realized he did this on purpose. Her gaze whipped to his averted one, finding him all too happy at causing this scene. Her mouth dropped open as her skin pricked where his arm touched her. She blinked and watched how Chat-like he was acting right now. "You...you planned this! You sneaky tomcat!"

He whipped to her and put his fingers over her mouth. "Shhh, my lady!" He hissed, sticking his face inches from hers. "We can't have my master plan foiled now, can we?" He suddenly lost some of his playfulness and his smile as he kept staring. "I told you that I refuse to go back to barely knowing you and being unable to do these things with you. I don't want our classmates and friends to not know anymore. You have no idea how much it would kill me every day to not be able to hold your hand or have a decent conversation with you because they still think you can't say five words to me." His eyes crinkled. "We all know that's not true, right my lady? You're very adept with words..."

Her face scrunched up through her discomfort. "Charmer." Knowing she was being recorded on Alya's phone, she decided to give her friend something to really capture on video and leaned forward to kiss him. "Nice job kitty. Does this mean I need to give your ears a scratch later after school?"

His grin was positively evil. He rested his forehead against hers, delighting in the arms draping themselves over his shoulders. Laughter bubbled through him again. "Why wait? We have an hour for lunch..."


	14. Whatever You Desire

"A little lower. To the left. Yes...you may now continue..."

She snorted and rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but smiling at his catlike behavior. She grabbed the drink near his shoulder and took a sip before putting it back near her hip. She grabbed a piece of fruit and held it over his mouth to which he readily accepted.

"Feeding me too? I'm in heaven, my lady! Shall I purr for you now?"

She looked to the sky as if for help before looking back to the face gaily staring up at her from her lap. "Don't get used to this. It won't continue."

"Because you don't want to pet my ears?"

"Because you won't have ears soon, Chat."

He merely smiled knowingly and entwined his fingers together to rest them over his chest. His tail lightly swished over the incline of the roof they were taking a private moment on. He could smell the lunch he paid for loitering around her legs. Not wanting to get up, a hands flopped around a few times until he found his sandwich and took a bite. He took his time before answering her, wondering just how much he wanted to give away. She was going to be upset with him and probably knock him off his perch over her legs, but he could take that chance if only he could make her feel as happy as he was now. "Oh...I dunno...I think we'll get to keep them for a while longer..."

He was smirking like he just ate the canary and her eyes narrowed. She put the sandwich that she was about to help herself to back down and her lips pursed. "I don't like that tone Chat. What did you do?"

His eyes opened and he stared up into deep, masked blue...unhappy deep blue. Yea...she was probably going to knock him on the head for this one. He couldn't help his grin though. "You fight for Paris all the time and I only get to help a little. It was my turn to be the hero that wins the game this time."

The look she gave him told him she had reached the end of her patience with his games. She pinched an ear harshly with her miraculous strength and he squirmed with a cry of pain. A hand came up to dislodge her grip, but her free hand ensnared it and squeezed. "I'm liking this less and less the more your mouth keeps opening. Spit it out or I go for the other one."

He pouted, but it was short-lived. He flashed her a brilliant smile and twisted his wrist free to reach up and touch an earring. "We were given permission to keep our powers for a little longer, my lady. We don't have to give this up."

She should have been happy, but she was only upset. She immediately brought her fingers to his forehead and harshly flicked it. He gave another cry of pain at the amount of strength she used, but refused to leave her lap. She looked down to his eyes with a glare, hands going to her hips. "You...you! You didn't! That wasn't something for you to butt in on Chat! That was my decision! It was an agreement between us; you had nothing to do with it!"

His eyes narrowed a little as he rubbed his forehead. He suddenly sat up and twirled to her, his finger going under her chin. Tempest blue met him and he drank it in. She was gorgeous when she was upset and he took a quick second to memorize her this way...even if she looked like she wanted to beat him up a little. He leaned in, voice smooth. "It certainly did concern me, my lady. You used my ring to bring back my mother for my sake. None of that was your own. I was heavily involved." He turned away and went for their drink. He took a quick swig before handing it over to her. "Besides, Master Fu told me himself that he didn't want you bringing her back merely because it was too dangerous and you were inexperienced. Giving up your earrings was never a bargaining chip."

She numbly took the cup and stared at the straw, mind whirling. She had been so prepared to go back to being normal Marinette with just Adrien at her side, but a quickly blossoming bud was taking hold of her. Her lips started rising on their own as she kept looking to the sweat lines on the cup. She could continue this journey with Chat at her side. They could keep watching over Paris and make sure their family and friends were safe. The best part was that she didn't have to say goodbye to Tikki yet! Tears lined her eyes as she abruptly dropped the cup and heard it splash down the rooftop. She covered her face with a happy sob, shoulders trembling a little.

His features melted as he watched her. He knew she wasn't ready either...she was only playing strong for others, like she always did. His hands found her shoulders and she dropped her head into his chest, letting his arms go around her. "See?" He murmured, cheek near her ear. "You didn't want to give this up either... I knew you didn't. You just try to take on too much, my lady."

She quickly calmed in his arms and remained there. A huge sense of gratitude washed over her as she felt his arms around her back, his breath near her ear. The previous sense of finality washed away. Life would continue, but it would perhaps be a lot less chaotic. Tikki could remain by her side as a comrade and not be needed so much. Butterfly was gone and all the other miraculous stones were back. Paris would only need them for the occasional criminal and perhaps not even many of those times. If something ever happened to one of the stones, Master Fu knew where they were and could take theirs back at any time should a new champion be needed elsewhere.

"Th...thank you...thank you...!" She finally breathed, arms tightly winding around his neck.

He smiled softly and returned the squeeze she gave him, heart warming at the sincerity in her words. It was as if he just handed over the moon she had always wanted. "Anything for you, my lady. I have not yet begun to repay you. I have to keep thinking of much better things in the future to top this." He slowly pulled away and looked to her, eyes mirthful. "If cats like their ears scratched, what do ladybugs like that makes them so happy?"

She smiled, lids slowly lowering, chin already tilting. "How about a kiss?"

It took all of a second to comply. Her hands went through his wild hair and he copied her. She clutched him to her and he thus replied the same. His heart was going to burst at how perfect this day was turning out to be! He didn't think things could get any better, but he remembered this morning and an eye peeked open, idly staring at her long lashes.

She didn't want him to pull away, but he did. She tried to follow him, but his hands on her shoulders kept her from moving. Her eyes opened to a truly cat-like smile that had her slightly glaring at him...blush on her face. "What's the matter? Stop giving me that look or I'll hit you."

"I have another present for you, my lady." He only answered. He turned away for his bag and grabbed the envelope. He presented her name to her and watched her take it. "It's from my father. Hurry and open it! I've been dying all morning to know what he wrote you."

She ignored the tail twitching against her leg. Her brow furrowed as she stared at her name. She flipped it to the back flap, finding nothing else written. She looked to him, slightly suspicious. "Why would your father give me this?"

"If I knew, I would have spilled it to you when I saw you. Hurry up and open it before I do so myself!"

She rolled her eyes and tsked at him before grabbing one of his fingers. She slipped his claw underneath the flap and used his sharp nail to tear a hole in it. "Happy?"

"Well, at least they finally got put to use."

She ignored the smile in his voice and pulled out a simple note card. The script was beautifully-formed. She tucked the envelope behind the card and scanned his words.

 _Ladybug,_

 _The_ _deed_ _you_ _have_ _done_ _for_ _me_ _can_ _never_ _be_ _repaid_ _in_ _many_ _lifetimes._ _I_ _apologize_ _for_ _the_ _horrible_ _actions_ _which_ _almost_ _led_ _you_ _to_ _give_ _up_ _your_ _life_ _for_ _the_ _sake_ _of_ _my_ _family._ _If_ _you ever_ _feel_ _so_ _inclined,_ _come_ _to_ _me_ _as_ _your_ _real_ _self_ _and_ _I_ _will_ _grant_ _you_ _anything_ _you_ _wish._ _I_ _swear_ _that_ _I_ _will_ _honor_ _your_ _secret,_ _just_ _as_ _I_ _have_ _my_ _wife's_ _and_ _my_ _son's,_ _for_ _the_ _rest_ _of_ _my_ _life._ _Return_ _this_ _to_ _me_ _with_ _your_ _answer_ _when_ _you_ _are_ _ready._

 _Gabriel_ _Agreste_

Somewhere in those few sentences, she was vaguely aware that her mouth had dropped open and refused to close. Her eyes teared and she suddenly remembered she had forgotten to breathe. She exhaled a shaky breath she didn't realize she was holding and handed over the letter when clawed digits quickly came into her view. She wiped her eyes, but the tears refused to stop forming.

He had never known his father to ever be so generous. What was being offered in these words... He smiled at his father's scrawl, brow furrowing upward. "Father..." He lovingly murmured, looking to the bright sky. He handed back the letter and she took it to read it over again. "I never knew he could be such a person."

"Anything...I want..." She mumbled, mind suddenly blank.

He crossed his legs and propped his head up to stare at her. "That'll be a tough one." He mumbled, smile forming. "Maybe? A rich and important man like Gabriel Agreste, who just happens to have a handsome, talented, smart, fabulous young son in tow..." He laughed when a hand slapped his arm. "Anything you want, huh? Going to ask for money? Think of all the stuff you could buy with it. I'll let you in on a secret though: my room is full of stuff and it's not that specatular."

She gave him a dry look for the cat pun, ignoring the grin on his face. She looked back to the card, rereading those few sentences again and again, eyes suddenly widening. She gasped and almost dropped the card.

He was stunned when she looked somewhat panicked and leaned to her. "What? What's wrong?!"

Syllables were the only thing she could get out. Her hands started shaking, though she kept trying to tell herself it would be okay. He would honor her secret...no...oh no...! She eventually looked to confusion and worry, trying to calm herself down with his nearness. "Y – your...father...h – he...he...knows..."

His head jerked back, eyes widening. He snatched the letter from her hands and quickly read it. There was nothing there that immediately spoke of his having found out her identity. His brow furrowed. "I don't think he does. How can you be so sure?" He looked to her, seeing a great deal of conflict and thought on her face. "What makes you think he knows you're Marinette?"

"Grant me...anything I wish... He'll honor my secret..."

"Yea, it says so right here. He said if you come as Marinette, he won't tell anyone."

Her head rapidly shook, eyes darting around the roof tiles as if the answers were on them. "The pigeon hat. Your father oversaw that entire contest! He knows I design things! Think about it: why would he chose those exact words in order to repay me? He could have just allowed me to be by your side whenever I wished, but he didn't mention that. He's seen how we act together through all his pawns and that last battle finally probably gave me away when I transformed back to Marinette. He already knows what I want from him and he's willing to grant it! How? Just...when...oh my god!"

She was making his head muddled. First she looked scared, then worried, and now she was getting really excited the more she kept rambling. It was hard to keep up with her and he wanted to shake the answer out of her. He had no idea how she knew all this from such a basic letter which never spoke of such a thing, but she always was smarter than him. She was always given the strangest clues from her Lucky Charm to figure out and it seemed that his father's words were yet another one of those for her to somehow use to her advantage."Would you please enlighten your confused cat in on the secret here? Stop dangling the toy already and let me have it!"

Her eyes were practically sparkling as she whipped her attention to him. She grasped his hand and started shaking it. A squeal erupted from her and she didn't bother to hide it. "Oh my god! This is the best day of my life! This is amazing! I can't believe this!"

Her happiness was infectious and he let her keep shaking his arm. He smiled from the mere look of ecstasy on her face. "Well I'm glad he's making you this happy and I get to witness it, but I still don't know what the fuss is about."

She tsked and waved a finger in his face at his slow uptake. "I design things. I like fashion. Your father found this out from that school event. He praised my work before and he's willing to help me on it! He probably figured out my secret earlier, knows what I want, and is telling me so!" Hands went to her cheeks as she swayed in her spot. "I always wanted to be a famous fashion designer like your father and create my own label! If I can learn anything under him, it'd be like a dream come true!"

It was so adorable to see Marinette come out from under the mask. He let her have her daydream and ramble about what she was suddenly planning to do, too content to see her real self shine past red and black spots. Ladybug had never been cuter and it was hard to keep himself from touching her. She eventually ran out of breath and suddenly pouted. Hands abruptly went into her hair and scratched her head as a despairing cry rang from her. She quickly shrunk under herself and sighed.

A bemused brow went up. "Now what's the matter?"

She suddenly looked to him, giving him a slightly tortured gaze. "We still have to go finish school! Argh! Why can't it be over with already?! I want to go right now and talk to your father and get this started! How am I supposed to concentrate on anything now? This is all your fault!"

She was a whirlwind, but so amusing. He chuckled at her blaming him for her getting lost in her own imagination. He flashed her a charming grin and gently picked up a hand in her lap to bring it to his lips. "I'm glad that I can make you so bothered, my lady. Perhaps I shouldn't wait to tell you then of the seating arrangement I have planned for when we get back..."

She dumbly blinked at him at the random topic change before his words struck her like lightening. She stuttered and went beet red, though her hand never pulled away from his ministrations. "N – no! Chloe is going to complain to me so much! I don't want to listen to her whining every day! How are you sure the teacher will even allow such a thing anyway?"

"Don't deny your poor kitty a chance to curl up next to you for the day, my lady." His smile turned evil. "I'll take care of Chloe if she pesters you at all and I'm sure you'll have help from your friends. Plus, it'll give Nino and Alya a chance to sit together and enjoy their company some more. Not as much as us, but they can try."

She eventually pulled her hand away and stood to look out below them at the bustling city. The Eiffel Tower was nearby and she gazed at it, having never felt better in her entire life. She felt him stand and his heat as he stood close behind her. He suddenly draped an arm over her shoulders and tugged her to him. She went and wrapped an arm around his waist. She felt his happiness mix with hers as they stood side-by-side. "I'd say the day is just about perfect!" She gaily commented, face bright.

He stole a look and smiled. "Couldn't agree more, Marinette. Thank you for letting me share these moments with you."

She suddenly spun on her heel and faced him, free arm accompanying the other around him. "And many more?" She kidded, eyes twinkling and full of love.

His arms were already snaking around her petite waist and fully tugging her against him. This was what it felt like to be whole and complete...to have a life worth living and someone to love. He leaned his forehead against hers, staring down into her beautiful eyes for a moment. He swooped down and kissed her briefly, tenderly. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my lady..."

01010

"It'll be okay." He murmured again, giving an encouraging smile. He wanted to squeeze the shaking hand in his, but she was already gripping it so tightly that he was in a tad bit of pain and couldn't move it. "You'll do fine..."

Her free hand kept rapidly tapping against the door handle of the Adrien's ride as she watched the city pass them by. Her eyes darted to everything around them, feeling panic and excitement roll through her in waves. Each one crashed higher and higher the closer they got to Agreste mansion until she thought she would explode from it all. The last time she had been there was to defeat his father and now she was going to take him up on anything he would give to her! That included having him take her under his wing and teach her his secrets.

A finger stuck in between her teeth and she harshly gnawed on it. "This is so embarrassing..." She mumbled, brow furrowing upward. "I don't think I can do this after all!"

He couldn't take the eyes off the finger barely in her mouth. Her teeth were doing a great job in their attempt to rip the nail from her skin, but he couldn't lift a finger to stop her in the surge of his emotions. He forgot where they were for a moment until the car stopped them at his place. He blinked and looked out the window he was next to before turning to her with a smile. "Well, you don't have a choice now. Let's get out and go find him."

She jolted and looked at him, eyes impossibly wide. "M – m – maybe I can...j – just...stay in the car?"

He gave her a dry look before pulling her from the door as the driver opened it for him. "No can do Marinette!" He steadied her and then pushed her to the door. "I'm not going to let you back out on this one." He opened the front door for her and all but pulled her inside when she attempted to dig her heels in and keep from moving further.

She had been in Adrien's house many times before as both personas for both good and bad times. This was supposed to be the best of them, but she was shaking too much in the uncertainty of it all to enjoy it like she should be. She knew she should be a lot happier, but all she could think about were the horrible words she verbally threw at his father during their last battle. Would he carry a grudge against her for it all? He was offering her anything she wanted; she didn't think he may, but she didn't know him well enough and didn't want to assume anything.

The gorilla was putting the car away and Natalie had gone ahead of them to do whatever she needed to for his father for the day. It was just the two of them right now...plus the security cameras that his father was probably looking down on...maybe... He faced her and took her hands in his, looking down at her face full of every bad thing he could name. "You can do this." He softly coaxed, giving her trembling digits a squeeze. "I believe in you. This is what you really want and you have every right to claim it. Don't forget what you did for my father. He WANTS to give you this. He probably already knows you're here." He looked to the cameras above.

She followed his gaze and stared at the camera as if it were a gun. She eeped and quickly let go of Adrien's hands as if she were back at the beginning with him. A hand nervously scratched the back of her head. Her free hand waved to the camera as if Gabriel were already in front of her.

She was so cute and he really wanted to tease her in the midst of her insecurities. He gave a lopsided grin at her actions at how she could still be acting like this after everything she did for his family. "Ah, geez!" He playfully complained, swinging an arm around her shoulders. "I know the cat ran away with your tongue, but you have to find it sometime in the next few minutes so you can talk to my father." He gave her a quick look as he started off for his father's work place before she could pick her brain up. She got all the way in front of the door and watched as he pulled it open before she tried to squirm away. "Too late Marinette." He kidded, clutching at her shoulders so she couldn't run.

The second they walked past the doorway, Gabriel stood from his desk and they locked eyes. She went still as stone, somehow managing to fumble her way in past the door so Adrien could close it. She watched him walk around his desk and stop mere feet away, looking highly imposing, but not cruel. There was actually a soft look in his eyes that had never existed before. He nodded to Adrien and she watched the whole thing...a small layer of unease melting away.

"I've seen you before. You're Marinette. What is your reason for accompanying my son home today?"

Adrien threaded his arm around hers and looked up to his father. He bet his father remembered her name from past interactions, but he was the host here and felt proper introductions were in order. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, father. Marinette, Gabriel Agreste." He shook her arm when she said nothing after and spied a look. She looked highly intimidated and he leaned close to her ear. "Go on! Show him the letter." He hissed, not caring if his father heard him.

She jumped, but quickly grabbed her bag and pulled the letter from it. She produced it and held it out to him, watching it shake in her fingers. Gabriel made no move to take it from her and she tried not to shy away from him. She suddenly felt like she was in the middle of a pop quiz that she didn't study for. He was just standing there staring at her with his hands behind his back not saying anything! His eyes roamed over her face and she wondered what he was looking for. Ladybug perhaps?

It felt like forever until he slowly took the letter from her and ripped it to tiny pieces. She stared, feeling dismayed that he hated her as he walked away and threw it in the trash. He immediately came back and stopped between her...his hand extending for her to shake. She jolted, feeling Adrien's arm squeeze hers, as her hand timidly floated up and took his.

"No need to be so nervous Ladybug. I mean you no more harm."

She blinked and looked around. No one could hear their conversation and she bet he made sure to keep it that way. She looked back, feeling Ladybug take over at being in front of their previous adversary and took hold of her alter ego's strength. Some of the inability to do this left, only to be replaced with a sense of guilt. She looked to his hand still clasping hers. He made no move to shake it, but the embrace was enough of a peace offering. "Mr. Agreste...I apologize for everything."

Gabriel let go of her hand and turned away, hands going behind his back again. His eyes solemnly looked to the ground with a quiet sigh. "There is no need for you to apologize Marinette. In fact, it is I who should be apologizing to you for everything. That is why I am offering you whatever you wish from me. I understand that a sorry is not enough to cover part of my faults in this venture."

She took a step to him before she could think. "Your reasons were honorable, though the methods weren't." She quickly responded. She looked to the floor, remembering that night very clearly...at least until she chanted the words Master Fu told her to say and lost consciousness. "I'm glad to have been able to help you with what you wanted. I bear you no ill will." She looked to Adrien with somewhat sad eyes. "You just missed your wife and wanted Adrien to have his mother again. No one could blame you for that."

Adrien gave her a small smile, hand lightly resting on her shoulder. Her compassion for his father was beyond words and he was speechless in front of her. The amaze that he held for her was limitless and that expansion kept growing the more he was with her.

Gabriel turned and faced her, a small look of sorrow encompassing his features. "You are certainly worthy of the Ladybug earrings, that is for sure. Name whatever you want and I'll do anything in my power to grant it. It doesn't matter what it is."

Her mouth opened to say what she had originally wanted to do with him, but a sudden idea had it snapping shut. She looked between father and son a few times, mind whirling. Adrien gave her a nod and insistent look as if she merely couldn't say what she had wanted to before school ended. She looked to the floor, eyes hard, heart suddenly aching. "I want you to let Adrien be free."

He jolted a little and took a small step toward her. What?! That wasn't what she was supposed to say! "What are you talking about Marinette?! You wanted to work under my father! You had your heart set on it all day! I'm fine! You're here; nothing else matters!"

Her head shook. She pinned him with a soft, pained gaze and briefly rested a hand on his shoulder. She thought to his life and how depressing it was for him...to those days not so long ago when she attempted to put herself in this place every day. Her eyes hardened and she turned that strength to his father. "Ever since I've known Adrien, he's been very sad and lonely. I was unable to fully bring back his mother, but you're still here. You're his father. I have my parents who love me very much and I know what it's like to be a family. I want him to have that experience too." She took a step forward, fists clenching. "Let him be a regular middle school boy like everyone else! He doesn't get that; he has photo shoots, piano, Chinese, karate, fencing... His whole life has been dictated for him and he has never gotten to choose for himself due to the fear running rampant in this house. He's been caged for so many years! You can end that, Mr. Agreste. Trust in Adrien; he's a good person and he won't let you down. He has never let me down since I met him and I trust my very life to him."

Somewhere in these new demands she was creating, his mouth dropped open and refused to close. His arms were dead weight at his sides. He felt like something unknown was opening up in front of him at her words, at what she wanted for him. She was trying to pull the rug out from under everything he knew, everything he had always disliked, in attempt to better his life for his sake. She was bypassing this opportunity for her future and instead trying to give him something worth living. He could've cried tears of joy at the mere thought of how hard she was fighting for him again, at the passion in her eyes. His eyes teared a little despite all the unwillingness in the world for them to form. Whether Ladybug or not, she always saved him and he felt so unworthy of what she was insinuating.

He quickly took a step ahead of her and put a hand on her shoulder, insistent eyes on his father. "I don't want you to grant Marinette this, father!" His jaw clenched for a second as he felt her eyes. His eyes hardened as a sense of stubbornness claimed him. "I heard what Marinette wanted from you earlier. This isn't it. She wants to be a fashion designer and have her own label. She wants to learn from you and improve. That is what I want you to grant her. I refuse to accept anything she just said! If you do, I won't do it and then you'll just waste her time here."

"What are you doing?!" She turned and clutched his arms, wanting to shake him. "This is my decision and I'll not have you rescind another one! This is what I truly want from your father: to spend time with you as he hasn't for years! I want you to be happy...really happy, Adrien. Your smile rarely reaches your eyes...do you know that? I know you and I love you. I've watched you for a long time. If I can see you truly happy from here on out, that will make me happy as well. I can still do those things that I want; I will just learn a different way. Don't think that just because I changed my mind that I'm giving up on the future that I want."

He glared at her a little and took a small step toward her. He wanted to yell at her and hug her all at the same time. "You have done everything for my sake the last few days and never anything for yourself! You could've been killed a few nights ago! Your selflessness knows no bounds and you should be rewarded for it. Do something for yourself this once! Tell my father what you originally wanted. I never saw you more excited than when you were talking about it. You want to do that; admit it!"

"You seem to be somewhat confused from the letter..." The pair stopped their tirades and turned to Gabriel. He lightly cleared his throat and looked to her. "I said that I'd grant you anything you wish...I didn't specify how many you were allowed."

They both stared at Gabriel in a total look of confusion. They looked to each other, to him, and back again before a grin broke out on his face. He took a small step to his father, fists clenched in his rising excitement. "Does...does that mean...?"

Gabriel's hand rose as if to stop Adrien's query. He looked to her with a slight smile on his face. "My son is right in that your selflessness is limitless. I will honor your feelings for my son where I can. The photo shoots are part of my business so that is something I won't stop, but he will have a choice in his extracurricular activities outside of school." Father and son locked eyes. "Adrien, I want you to do at least two of your four activities. You shall choose the ones that you wish to continue and I'll have Natalie cancel the others."

His brain could've exploded. Sheer happiness was starting to well up and it needed an outlet. He wanted to clutch her to him and swing her around! He wanted to kiss the daylights out of her and hold her as tightly as he could! He forced all of it away to think of what he liked the most out of his after-school studies. He looked to her and thought to their use in his life. A sheepish look overcame him as something struck him. "A – actually...I don't mind keeping them...except maybe not so many piano lessons..."

She turned to him in total confusion and gave him an odd look. "This is your chance to have afternoons off! You can do anything you want!"

He pinned her with a smile and took one of her hands. "The fencing and karate have actually come in handy for fighting and it's really good exercise. Even the Chinese lessons helped you out once with your family so I guess I don't mind them. Maybe not just so many times a week for Chinese? The piano? I guess...if you don't mind...I could play you something soon...since I know how to and all..."

"Finish thinking over your schedule Adrien and send your changes to Natalie for her to record for later. Now that you have been taken care of," Gabriel's gaze shifted to her, "what do you want me to teach you first about fashion? Have you given any thought to a topic? What questions have you thought up to start with?"

The conversation had taken such a normal turn! The twist of events had become so much greater than she had ever hoped for! She jumped at his expectant gaze, suddenly realizing he was willing to start right now. "Ah...well...I only thought of it this afternoon so I suppose I could take a little time to think of a few things if you want..."

Gabriel gave a thoughtful hum and turned for his desk after a moment. "There's no need. I've seen a little of your work. I think I know where to start. Come."

Her gaze followed Gabriel until he was behind his desk and expectantly staring back at her. She jumped and her eyes whirled between Adrien and his father a few times. He smiled and nodded, giving her back a little push. "Go ahead Marinette. I'll be in my room with my homework while you two talk. Just come find me when you get done."


	15. A Future with You

Dinner at the Agreste household was like eating at a five-star restaurant, but much quieter. She looked around the huge dining room and at the chef's meal set before her. She eyed Adrien already starting in on his meal and remembered that such a thing was common occurrence for him. She nervously grasped her utensils and started picking at her food. While she had tried to picture herself in his place to see how his life usually was, she didn't think she'd actually be doing it one day!

He kept subtly eying her, finding her absolutely adorable. Despite all she had done, all she had said, she still wasn't used to being here with him doing such mundane things. It was endearing, really it was. "It's not quite the bakery, but it's still pretty good. You CAN eat it, you know..." He cracked, grinning at her.

She pouted at him and immediately stuck a bite in her mouth as if to spite him. She quickly tore into the rest of the meal, finding herself much hungrier after all the emotional upheaval was finally done. Now that her stomach had a respite from her nerves, she was actually famished! "This is really good!" She mumbled, taking another bite.

He smiled and ate his food with much more trained grace. They were quiet for most of the meal, merely enjoying each other's company. He couldn't help but feel like this was some grand dream he had slipped into somewhere along the way and was going to wake up sometime soon. He knew who Ladybug was, they were in love with each other, they beat Butterfly, they retained their super powers, his father was going to change, he could make choices in his own life, Marinette was going to get to do what she always wanted, and she got to spend an entire afternoon at his house. Life was going to get a little simpler and a lot more fun because of her. He was almost waiting for the other shoe to drop, but there seemed like nothing bad to come from this whole week. Any sense of anxiety for danger was non-existent. It was strange, but he grasped at this happiness with both hands.

"What are you thinking about? You're awfully quiet for a cat..."

He jerked to his surroundings to find amused blue on him. He smiled and shook his head. "I'm thinking about how amazing you are."

She flushed and toyed with her food. "Y – you're...amazing too, you know..."

He gave her a dry look and propped his head up on the table to stare at her. "Oh please. Don't think that I can compare to you in the slightest. You are so much more awesome than you think. I'm just your backup dancer in this whole thing."

She sat back in her chair and openly stared at him. He met her eyes as if in a challenge to who was better than whom. She finally smiled at him through a coy look and leaned her elbows on the table to prop her head up. "Perhaps I'll have to do more then to show you how amazing you are, Adrien Agreste."

His brow twitched, Chat-like grin coming to him despite the flush to his face. "Are you going to take your hair down again? If you do that, I may not be able to remain in my seat."

She giggled and covered her mouth with her hands.

God she was so cute when she laughed! He suddenly swore that he would try to crack as many jokes in the future as he could to get her to do so just so he could hear that beautiful sound. The way she looked when she did so made his heart flutter and he loved that feeling. He wanted to experience this as much as possible for so many years to come and he bet she would let him.

"So what do you want to do after this?" He asked, almost regrettably looking to his meal instead of her.

"I should probably head home soon..." She mumbled, feeling sad to go. The afternoon was mostly done and although her parents had been notified of her location long ago, she still had to get home and there was school tomorrow. This awesome day did have to have a close somewhere.

He openly pouted. "Must you? Don't you have homework to still make up for...being sick and all that... Your star student is still very willing to tutor you."

She smiled, flushing a little. "You're so sly, kitty. If you didn't want me to go home just yet, you can say it."

A brow rose. "I don't want you to ever leave. I thought that was painfully obvious."

Her flush increased a little. He made her heart race and she upped its level a bit more as she suddenly scooted her chair closer to the end spot he was taking up. She readjusted her dishes until she could easily hold his hand and have her meal too.

He avidly watched her move everything with a small sense of confusion and glee. "What are you doing?" He asked, brow going up. "Not that I mind you know...if you want to sit closer to me... I can handle that."

She giggled again and rested a palm up on the table, sheepish look on her face. He took it without needing any other prodding and gave her a squeeze. He looked so utterly happy at such a simple gesture and she wished she could only do more to magnify that feeling for him.

Keeping his eyes on her, he brought the back of her hand to his lips in a light, lingering kiss. He watched utter glee take hold of her features and sparkle in her eyes. How many times he tried to do this to her in the past, before they really knew each other, and had never received such a look...never able to complete such an action. He counted himself more than lucky that fate had brought them to this point in his life, with her having dinner with him at his side. He couldn't have asked for a better dining companion, save for his father who was still at work. "I love you, Marinette." He murmured against her skin, features gentle.

She flushed and covered her mouth with her free hand as a squeal left before her consent. She turned into a quivering mass of giggles and stuttering for about a minute, hand still his willing prisoner. She darted glances at his gorgeous eyes, finding them watching her with all the love from his words living there...showing her his feelings again. She tried to keep her eyes there, but his emotions were so strong and she was still so taken aback that they existed only for her that she kept looking away.

How they ever finished eating, he had no clue. He somehow managed to do so one-handed since he refused to let go of her partially trembling fingers. Any time she tried to pull away to use her hand, he gripped it and pouted as if his favorite toy were being taken away forever. She kept giving him slightly irritated looks for being unable to properly eat at times, but always indulged his whim. There was always a noticeable flush whenever such occurrences happened, too.

The afternoon decided to set on him despite his desperate wishes that it wouldn't. He didn't want her to be farther away than he could reach for her! So many times he had spent in his room at night in his search and steeping in the whirlwind of his emotions for her. Now, he had her here and he never wanted to let her go. He had a feeling that this new longing would just about kill him.

She had her backpack and had done what she came to do. It was time to go. She had barely spent any time with her family in the last few days due to this sudden change to her life and she was kind of shocked when she thought of such. The words she feared to say finally had to be spoken and she said them with a sense of regret and sadness. "I...I should...probably go..." Her hand wrapped around her arm, face lowered to their feet below. She shuffled uncomfortably on her feet as if having let go of some horrible news that couldn't be held back any longer. She almost couldn't look at him and see that sorrow in his eyes, his frown. "I guess...I'll see you in school tomorrow?"

A hand clamped down on her shoulder before he could stop himself. This day had been so incredible and it was like Cinderella at midnight. He didn't want anything to turn back to normal yet...not yet! She looked at him a little stunned, but understandably so. His mouth opened to say anything, but he couldn't manage words to properly explain his selfishness. His eyes darted around her face and the way the sunset gave off that blue-tinge to the black of her hair. She was beautiful...she was here...she was his... She was making him drown in his feelings again and he wished there was some way she could fully appreciate them as they coursed through his blood and made him a willing prisoner to them.

Her face melted to a soft, knowing look, smile taking hold as she slowly stepped forward and lightly embraced him in the front door of the main hall. He didn't react for all of a second before his arms clutched at her under her back pack. He heaved a frustrated sigh, feeling the chaos of so many things he wanted to say...to do. Everything demanded to be first in line all at once and nothing was getting accomplished because of it. Gratitude from her actions, regret at her absence, wishes for her to stay, his undying love...so many things...

Her hand came up and lightly stroked his hair. Her heart fluttered, feeling unable to say anything past the lump in her throat, but figuring that words were useless anyway. "Care to walk me home?" She threw out, already knowing the answer.

He idly stared out the open door to the courtyard before pulling away with a grin. "Can we take the long way there?" His smile changed sly, eyes crinkling in his mirth.

She met that gaze, knowing he wanted to take up as much of her time as he could get away with. She already knew what he wanted as well. Her place was mere blocks away from his; the long way meant over rooftops and probably passing by it on the way there. She stepped back and feigned a put out sigh, shaking her head as his amusement caught on. Her hands threw in the air as if unable to do anything else in her defense. "What am I going to do with you, you demanding cat..."

"I'd say kiss me, but we can wait till we're atop the Eiffel Tower for that."

She squelched a squeal and covered her mouth with her hands. Despite all that had occurred between them, she still couldn't stop her face from heating up when he said stuff like that! She looked to the camera in the main hall and teeth bit her lip. "I suppose it's okay to transform here, right? No more secrets and all that..."

He looked to the camera as well. It didn't phase him like he thought it would now. Having someone other than Marinette to know about his powers actually felt good. There was a sense of trust there toward his father and he liked knowing this. He suddenly realized that his father's oath of keeping his secret meant more to him than he previously thought. "No time like the present."

In moments, she was standing on his front porch and swinging her yo-yo to some rooftop nearby. She gave it a tug with a mental command to retract and take her air-born. She heard noises nearby from Chat bounding across rooftops with her. She swung around him playfully and the second time she got within arm's reach, a claw came out as if to grasp at her when he caught onto the game. She smirked at his bad jokes of cat and mouse and swung around her neighborhood, passing the bakery entirely and kept going.

This was the best way to end the day! They kept going in no real direction, but he did want to spend time with her with a view. He pointed in the direction of the tower and she easily switched angles to head for it. They landed near the very top and found it deserted. If anyone was even around, they were levels down and unable to see or hear anything from them way up here. Perfect; he wanted her all to himself for the few precious moments that remained between them tonight.

"So now that you have me all the way up here you selfish cat, are you still going to kiss me like you said?"

He startled a little when a hand abruptly started scratching an ear. His lids lowered by themselves as he took a second to enjoy the feeling...at least until he remembered his own words. He quickly turned to her, stopping the action for the feel of her lips against his. His arms went around her petite frame with a different sense of exhilaration. Chat Noir was kissing Ladybug as he had always wanted. His heart beat faster in that recognition.

She gave in for as long as the ability to breathe remained. With as fast as her heart was beating, that battle was soon lost. When it finally failed her, she pulled away to catch her breath, but he was hardly finished with her. His lips attacked the skin under her bangs in a series of noisy, quick kisses that had her laughing and playfully squirming in his arms. She could feel the smile against her forehead, arms light in their attempts to separate them. His strength kept her there if he so wanted, although she could have easily escaped if she really felt the need to do so.

His mouth eventually ran out of mirth for the romance of their location and it remained against her skin, nose against her hair. He deeply inhaled and gave an appreciative sigh, staring out at the bright lights below and feeling like nothing could touch them up here. She was warm in his arms and hers were loosely draped around his waist. She wasn't moving in the slightest and he only hoped she was enjoying this as much as he was. He looked down to check that thought and a clawed finger rose to move her chin up for an easier view.

She could see the love in his eyes and wondered if it was as strong as hers. She stared at the most beautiful green that she would ever know in her life and drank it in. Just seeing his eyes look at her like that made her heart beat and her emotions soar. She would never tire of this time between them. Time melted away and left her with seconds stretching into hours. She knew her parents were probably wondering where she was...maybe...but one quick explanation from them about Adrien would put any queries to rest. Maybe they didn't really need it, considering they were at least somewhat aware from the pictures on her wall and the way she spoke about him whenever his name left her lips.

He leaned his forehead against hers, nose slowly brushing across hers. He made no noises, save for a few happy sighs that escaped every few seconds. Her lips finally twitched. "Are you telling me to pet your ears now?"

"That was never my intent my lady...but if you ever feel so inclined to do so..."

Her eyes rolled at the suggestion in his voice even as a hand reached up on its own. She lightly scratched one and watched his head tilt toward her ministrations, something of a purr emanating from him. It was so adorable in its own way how like a cat he was, with or without the suit. Plagg fit him quite well as his kwami whether he liked it or not. She had heard his complaints about Plagg's lesser qualities, but they certainly came out when he was Chat Noir. Master Fu certainly had chosen the right kwami for the personality.

His eyes tried to open past the heavenly sensation above his head so he could look at her, but it was hard. "I hope you're as happy as I am right now, Marinette..." His arms tightened a little, voice soft.

She let go of his ear to cup a cheek. "I don't think there's anything or anyone else in the world which could make me more so right now." Her eyes shone from the extremity of her feelings that still couldn't properly be expressed. "This all feels like some dream we both slipped into that we don't know how to break."

"Even if it were, I wouldn't leave it to save my life."

She snorted in amusement and shook her head. "It's going to be hard to top tomorrow after a day like this one."

"You're going to start sitting next to me in class all day, every day. With you learning under my father, you can come to my photo shoots if you like and I'll see if we can add you to some of the shots. We get to fight crime knowing exactly who we are, and I can flirt with you and watch you blush when we do so. I get to spend my days and hopefully most of my afternoons with you. I'd say that we can easily top today in the days to come."

Did he lean down or did she lean up? He gently directed her mouth back to his for merely a second of heaven, to communicate everything that was raging through him. Then he was pulling away with 'that look' and leaving her empty and wanting more. She pouted at him before she could control herself and 'that look' changed to a regular Chat Noir grin. She let irritation encompass her at how easily he turned her all around before she grasped the back of his neck and harshly pulled him back to her as if to make him pay. He gave a muted cry of surprise against her lips as she kissed him passionately and then pulled away just when he started to respond. She took a step back when his mouth attempted to follow her, arms reaching out to keep her there.

"No fair...you can't just do something like that and walk away, my lady!"

She grinned at the excessive pout in his voice and her chin tilted up at knowing she had the upper hand. Her hand was going for her yo-yo as she cast him a glance over her shoulder. "I really should get back now. My parents are probably going to wonder where I've been...although if you'd like to stay for a bit before heading back home, I think a quick explanation will justify my being out this late."

He smiled and went for his baton. "Let's walk back from the bottom of the tower as Marinette and Adrien."

She paused just before she went to move away and looked at him in confusion. "Why? It'll only take a minute to swing home from the rooftops."

"Exactly. Plus, I want to hold your hand the entire way."

Her lips pressed together as she looked away with a flush. Her yo-yo let loose from its original confinements close to her home and she easily caught it before redirecting it to a spot on the tower. "Charmer. What am I going to do with you and all your demands?"

He grinned and extended his staff to a lower level, heart going faster at the thought escaping his mouth. "Hopefully we can figure that out in about forty, maybe fifty years..."

She went beet red at what he was insinuating and almost missed her landing. He was too much! She couldn't look at him the entire way down, adrenaline spiking to such a degree that never happened in battle. She was positively shaking as she sheepishly took his hand, face glowing from his words. They transformed back in a private space before taking the elevator to the ground level. He had the decency to be embarrassed at his own words, though the strength in his eyes backed them up. He was serious and she couldn't be happier.

She darted glances at him as they started off in a leisurely pace. Her embarrassment and joy mingled to the point where she didn't know which one to feel first. "W – why don't we...g – get home and...y – y – you can chat with my parents first before that...y – you silly cat!"

He smiled and found her red as a tomato, though her smile matched his. He gave her trembling digits a quick squeeze and lightly swung their arms a little. "Okay...we'll do it your way for now, my lady." His fingers easily threaded through hers. "For now."

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Thank you, thank you, thank you all! For those who have followed since the beginning, those who caught on in the middle, and those who found this later in life. So many people have read this story and I'm so happy it made everyone's day! ((((o (/v/) o))) Thanks for all the reviews! Thanks for all the hits and the follows! It's always sad to see a story "end", even though I have so many others down the line to post / have posted. I hope you can find other stories that I've written and enjoy them as much as you have this.


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